Working together can help a group of individuals survive a storm. This isn’t just an important lesson for humans, it’s also precisely how honeybees survive high winds. As they cluster into a hanging hive, they begin to behave like a single superorganism that can detect and respond to sheer forces in a way that would not be possible for any one individual bee. While honeybees have long been considered marvels of collective behavior, exactly how they achieve this isn’t fully understood.
European honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) reproduce via a process called colony fission, during which a queen bee leaves the existing hive along with about half the worker bees. The queen then finds a temporary location for the bees to congregate, often a tree branch. When she lands there, her pheromones signal to the swarm of worker bees — sometimes upwards of 10,000 of them — and they soon join her, aggregating into a bulbous inverted hanging cone.
There is no external architecture providing support. All that keeps them together is a collective grasp: a small number of bees directly hold onto the branch and the remaining bees hold onto either those bees or each other.
This temporary home can last anywhere from a few hours to several days as scouts search for a permanent nest site. While the hanging colony waits, it’s in a highly exposed and potentially precarious situation.
A moderate colony temperature is critical for survival — bees can die from heat exposure and hypothermia, alike — so a heatwave or a cold snap could mean trouble. They could also be quite easily drenched in a downpour and such a rainstorm might also involve high winds with the potential to physically break the swarm apart and scatter the individuals far and wide.
But this is where things get particularly interesting.
In response to fluctuations in temperature, the colony is able to maintain a near constant core temperature by adjusting its surface area to volume ratio, and in the event of high temperatures the colony will even form channels that are believed to promote air circulation. Should it rain, the bees on the outside work together to form shingles that encourage water run-off, keeping moisture away from the interior.
If a high wind or a predator shakes the branch, the bees seem to be able to work together to mitigate this, too, yet how they are able to make their hanging structure so stable in the face of rigorous shaking is unknown.
Researchers at Harvard University decided to take a closer look at this last phenomenon: the mysterious mechanical stability of a honeybee cluster. The research team built an apparatus that simulates back and forth and up and down movement. They then encouraged a swarm of bees to form a hanging colony on its underside.
While enduring the shear forces brought on by side-to-side shaking, it became clear that the bees at the top of the colony — those directly holding onto the structure — were taking most of the burden as they tried to hang on. But soon the entire colony began to spread out, increasing the surface area in direct contact with the structure. Now more bees were sharing the burden, and because the colony had become flatter, there was less wobbling and an overall reduction in those sheer forces.
It’s a good overall effect for the colony, but how does any one individual bee know what to do?
To find out, the researchers tracked the movement of individual bees during side-to-side shaking and discovered that the bees followed a gradient, moving from where the stress was lowest (at the bottom of the colony) toward where the stress was greatest (the top of the colony).
Most likely, individual bees determine which direction to go by sensing the amount of local strain around them, as their neighbors hold onto one another. The researchers found that, as individual bees moved toward a position of higher stress, the average stress on each bee in the whole colony decreased as a result, even though for some bees, that meant taking on more stress than they’d had at the outset. For those individuals, it was essentially a form of altruistic behavior. This instinct to do what’s best for the group seems to enable the bees to function as a superorganism.
Intriguingly, it has been proposed that our brains may behave in a similar way to a honeybee superorganism, wherein individual neurons work together, allowing intelligence to ultimately emerge.
Original research:
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Interacting can assist a group of people make it through a storm. This isn’t really simply a crucial lesson for people, it’s likewise specifically how honeybees make it through high winds. As they cluster into a hanging hive, they start to act like a single superorganism that can identify and react to large forces in a manner in which would not be possible for any one specific bee. While honeybees have actually long been thought about marvels of cumulative habits, precisely how they attain this isn’t really completely comprehended.
European honeybees ( Apis mellifera L.) recreate through a procedure called nest fission, throughout which a queen bee leaves the existing hive in addition to about half the employee bees. The queen then discovers a short-lived place for the bees to gather, frequently a tree branch. When she lands there, her scents signal to the swarm of employee bees– in some cases upwards of 10,000 of them– and they quickly join her, aggregating into a round inverted hanging cone.
There is no external architecture supplying assistance. All that keeps them together is a cumulative grasp: a little number of bees straight keep the branch and the staying bees keep either those bees or each other.
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This short-term house can last anywhere from a couple of hours to numerous days as scouts look for a long-term nest website. While the hanging nest waits, it remains in an extremely exposed and possibly precarious scenario.
A moderate nest temperature level is vital for survival– bees can pass away from heat direct exposure and hypothermia, alike– so a heatwave or a cold wave might imply problem. They might likewise be rather quickly soaked in a rainstorm and such a rainstorm may likewise include high winds with the possible to physically break the swarm apart and spread the people everywhere.
However this is where things get especially intriguing.
In action to variations in temperature level, the nest has the ability to keep a near consistent core temperature level by changing its area to volume ratio, and in case of heats the nest will even form channels that are thought to promote air blood circulation. Must it drizzle, the bees on the outdoors interact to form shingles that motivate water run-off, keeping wetness far from the interior.
If a high wind or a predator shakes the branch, the bees appear to be able to interact to reduce this, too, yet how they have the ability to make their hanging structure so steady in the face of strenuous shaking is unidentified.
Scientists at Harvard University chose to take a more detailed take a look at this last phenomenon: the mystical mechanical stability of a honeybee cluster. The research study group developed a device that replicates backward and forward and up and down motion. They then motivated a swarm of bees to form a hanging nest on its underside.
While withstanding the shear forces caused by side-to-side shaking, it ended up being clear that the bees at the top of the nest– those straight keeping the structure– were taking the majority of the problem as they aimed to hold on. However quickly the whole nest started to expand, increasing the area in direct contact with the structure. Now more bees were sharing the problem, and since the nest had actually ended up being flatter, there was less wobbling and a total decrease in those large forces.
It’s a great total impact for the nest, however how does any one specific bee understand exactly what to do?
To learn, the scientists tracked the motion of specific bees throughout side-to-side shaking and found that the bees followed a gradient, moving from where the tension was most affordable (at the bottom of the nest) towards where the tension was biggest (the top of the nest).
More than likely, specific bees identify which instructions to pass noticing the quantity of regional pressure around them, as their next-door neighbors keep one another. The scientists discovered that, as specific bees approached a position of greater tension, the typical tension on each bee in the entire nest reduced as an outcome, although for some bees, that suggested handling more tension than they ‘d had at the start. For those people, it was basically a kind of selfless habits. This impulse to do exactly what’s finest for the group appears to make it possible for the bees to work as a superorganism.
Intriguingly, it has actually been proposed that our brains might act in a comparable method to a honeybee superorganism, in which specific nerve cells interact, enabling intelligence to eventually emerge.
Initial research study:
” readability =”96
2999345121″ >
Interacting can assist a group of people make it through a storm. This isn’t really simply a crucial lesson for people, it’s likewise specifically how honeybees make it through high winds. As they cluster into a hanging hive, they start to act like a single superorganism that can identify and react to large forces in a manner in which would not be possible for any one specific bee. While honeybees have actually long been thought about marvels of cumulative habits, precisely how they attain this isn’t really completely comprehended.
European honeybees ( Apis mellifera L. ) recreate through a procedure called nest fission , throughout which a queen bee leaves the existing hive in addition to about half the employee bees. The queen then discovers a short-lived place for the bees to gather, frequently a tree branch. When she lands there, her scents signal to the swarm of employee bees– in some cases upwards of 10, 000 of them– and they quickly join her, aggregating into a round inverted hanging cone.
There is no external architecture supplying assistance. All that keeps them together is a cumulative grasp: a little number of bees straight keep the branch and the staying bees keep either those bees or each other.
This short-term house can last anywhere from a couple of hours to numerous days as scouts look for a long-term nest website. While the hanging nest waits, it remains in an extremely exposed and possibly precarious scenario.
A moderate nest temperature level is vital for survival– bees can pass away from heat direct exposure and hypothermia, alike– so a heatwave or a cold wave might imply problem. They might likewise be rather quickly soaked in a rainstorm and such a rainstorm may likewise include high winds with the possible to physically break the swarm apart and spread the people everywhere.
However this is where things get especially intriguing.
In action to variations in temperature level, the nest has the ability to keep a near consistent core temperature level by changing its area to volume ratio, and in case of heats the nest will even form channels that are thought to promote air blood circulation. Must it drizzle, the bees on the outdoors interact to form shingles that motivate water run-off, keeping wetness far from the interior.
If a high wind or a predator shakes the branch, the bees appear to be able to interact to reduce this, too, yet how they have the ability to make their hanging structure so steady in the face of strenuous shaking is unidentified.
Scientists at Harvard University chose to take a more detailed take a look at this last phenomenon: the mystical mechanical stability of a honeybee cluster. The research study group developed a device that replicates backward and forward and up and down motion. They then motivated a swarm of bees to form a hanging nest on its underside.
While withstanding the shear forces caused by side-to-side shaking, it ended up being clear that the bees at the top of the nest– those straight keeping the structure– were taking the majority of the problem as they aimed to hold on. However quickly the whole nest started to expand, increasing the area in direct contact with the structure. Now more bees were sharing the problem, and since the nest had actually ended up being flatter, there was less wobbling and a total decrease in those large forces.
It’s a great total impact for the nest, however how does any one specific bee understand exactly what to do?
To learn, the scientists tracked the motion of specific bees throughout side-to-side shaking and found that the bees followed a gradient, moving from where the tension was most affordable (at the bottom of the nest) towards where the tension was biggest (the top of the nest).
More than likely, specific bees identify which instructions to pass noticing the quantity of regional pressure around them, as their next-door neighbors keep one another. The scientists discovered that, as specific bees approached a position of greater tension, the typical tension on each bee in the entire nest reduced as an outcome, although for some bees, that suggested handling more tension than they ‘d had at the start. For those people, it was basically a kind of selfless habits. This impulse to do exactly what’s finest for the group appears to make it possible for the bees to work as a superorganism.
Intriguingly, it has actually been proposed that our brains might act in a comparable method to a honeybee superorganism , in which specific nerve cells interact, enabling intelligence to eventually emerge.
Initial research study:
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