How do honeybees keep their hive at one temperature?
The Bee Thermostat
How do honeybees keep their hive at one temperature?
A beehive is basically a nursery packed with baby bees, and babies are picky. Too cold, the larvae can't grow. Too hot, they cook. So no matter what the weather does outside — scorching summer day or chilly spring morning — the inside of the hive stays locked at exactly 35 degrees Celsius, about as warm as a human body. How do thousands of bees, with no thermostat and no group chat, pull that off?
When the hive gets too hot, some bees become living air conditioners. They fly to the nearest pond or puddle, drink until their bellies are full of water, then fly back and spit tiny droplets all over the honeycomb. As the water evaporates, it sucks heat out of the wax — the same reason you feel cold stepping out of a shower.
