How many bees are there in a hive? This is how swarms live
Bees are social animals and live in very large groups
bees live in very large groups. Each hive is capable of hosting a very large number of individuals. On average, around 50,000 bees live inside a hive. When a swarm is at its peak, this number can be even greater!
The nest in which the bees live is built directly by the swarm through the production of wax and the construction of hexagonal cells .
Bees are very clean animals. The swarms spend a lot of time looking after and cleaning their home as each hive has multiple functions: it hosts the adult specimens, the queen bee but also the developing larvae.
Inside the hive we find a clear division of bees into different castes: worker bees , queen bee and drones . Each of them performs a different task.
Together, through a solid collaboration, these little insects have managed to create small empires that work really efficiently. Let's find out more on the subject.
Why do bees build hexagonal cells?
Bees build hexagonal cells for a reason: space optimization.
The sphere, in geometry, is the shape that manages to offer more storage space by occupying a smaller surface. Bees need space but at the same time try to use as few resources as possible.
To optimize space, then, bees start building circular cells. To avoid leaving unnecessary space between one circle and another, the bees build the cells as close as possible to each other so that the circles as they approach deform and create common sides with the other cells. This assembly gives life to the hexagonal shapes and the classic honeycomb structure.
The hive is the home of bees, the cradle of larvae and the warehouse for honey
The hive is the home of bees. The swarms in their natural state build the hive in places usually far from the ground such as near the branches of trees. The reason for this choice is that bees try to settle in places as far away as possible from predators.
The structure of a beehive is truly amazing. In addition to hosting the swarm and the queen bee, the hive also acts as a cradle for the larvae . The queen bee in fact lays thousands of eggs a day inside the cells. The larvae then develop from the eggs. Arrived at this stage, the bees cover the cells where there are the larvae which in this way are capped .
When the larvae have completed their development cycle, they will be ready to leave their cells.
The hive also has another function: it serves as a warehouse for food supplies. The bees take care of the production of honey and then insert it inside the cells to store it and use it when necessary.
Production of honey, wax and royal jelly
Bees are capable of producing various substances. These small insects are the only animals to produce edible food for humans as well.
In addition to honey, bees also produce wax and royal jelly . The wax is formed by a substance generated by the bees themselves through some glands on their abdomen. This substance will be used by bees to build cells and give life to the hive in which they will settle.
The royal jelly on the other hand is a substance (always produced by bees) that has a very specific function. Bees use royal jelly to feed their queen bee from the larval stage. The queen bee is the only individual in the hive to be entitled to fine food such as royal jelly.
Royal jelly is a very nutrient-rich compound that allows the queen to develop differently from other bees in the colony .
Queen bees are larger than worker bees and are also the only ones capable of reproducing. The queen bee is the only fertile specimen in the whole hive.
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