How bees stay cool on hot summer days
August 29, 2019 9:10 AM Subscribe
Yes! The most wonderful thing I think I've ever read at work was about this:
Eusocial organisms, honey bees included, can be considered superorganisms (the colony itself functions like a single organism). Bees within a colony work together to perform colony level tasks, just as the cells in a human body work together to build and maintain a functional person. A few basic examples of this are thermoregulation (temperature regulation of the hive), respiration (air exchange into and out of the hive), and reproduction (creation of a new honey bee colony). ... Respiration—Bees prefer to nest in enclosed cavities (such as those in trees). There is very little passive air exchange in and out of such enclosed cavities. Therefore, workers actively fan air into and out of the colony in distinct inhalations and exhalations through the colony entrance. In fact, the volume of air that a honey bee colony “breathes” in one minute is that same as that of a domestic cat.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:32 PM on August 29, 2019
Eusocial organisms, honey bees included, can be considered superorganisms (the colony itself functions like a single organism). Bees within a colony work together to perform colony level tasks, just as the cells in a human body work together to build and maintain a functional person. A few basic examples of this are thermoregulation (temperature regulation of the hive), respiration (air exchange into and out of the hive), and reproduction (creation of a new honey bee colony). ... Respiration—Bees prefer to nest in enclosed cavities (such as those in trees). There is very little passive air exchange in and out of such enclosed cavities. Therefore, workers actively fan air into and out of the colony in distinct inhalations and exhalations through the colony entrance. In fact, the volume of air that a honey bee colony “breathes” in one minute is that same as that of a domestic cat.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:32 PM on August 29, 2019
Bees are the coolest, in the metaphorical sense, and I'm very glad I now know how they keep cool, in the literal sense. Thanks for this post!
posted by mixedmetaphors at 9:05 AM on August 30, 2019
posted by mixedmetaphors at 9:05 AM on August 30, 2019
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posted by Bee'sWing at 9:34 AM on August 29, 2019 [1 favorite]