HOW DO BEES SURVIVE THE WINTER?
During winter the bees cluster together around the queen bee and combs to form a winter cluster. The bees generate heat inside the hive by shaking slightly and fluttering their wings.
The temperature gradually increases from 120 C (550 F) or less at the outside to 300 C (850 F) at the center of the hive.
According to Scientific Beekeeping website, the bees get the needed energy to keep shivering throughout winter by consuming honey. Amazingly, researchers have discovered that the bees at the core of hive shiver more than the bees on the outside to minimize heat loss and conserve energy. The worker bees rotate their positions so that none of them gets too cold.
During warmer days during winter the bees abandon clustering together and clean up the hive of waste. However, some questions remain: How do bees measure temperature so accurately? How do the bees at the core know that they must shiver more than those near the periphery?
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