Page 120 - The Miracle of the Honeybee

118 THE MIRACLE OF THE HONEYBEE

The bees flying off to look for new sites can sometimes be as many as
two dozen. Thanks to their efforts, the colony obtains information about
several possible sites at the same time. Eventually, the workers decide
among the potential sites by vis-
iting each one, reducing them to
two or three. Eventually, agree-
ment is reached on which site
will be best, and the new hive is
established there. The colony
thus selects the best possible
site—at least, according to the
scout bees’ evaluations.
The decision-making process
over the site of the new hive may
last for several days. Each scout
inspects each potential site very
carefully, and it takes time for up
Bees swarming
to 500 workers to compare dif-
ferent alternatives and agree on
a common decision. During this time, the other bees continue waiting on
the tree in a mass, as already described, and set off for the new nest only
when a final decision has been taken by the scouts, who accompany them
on their final leg of the journey.
To understand the importance of what the scout bees do, let us re-ex-
amine the stages of this process, one by one. First, how do the scouts de-
cide on the suitability of the new site they find?
When looking for a new nest, the scout bees bear a number of details in
mind such as its height from the ground, whether any holes in it can be
patched, and the size of the internal area. They also pay special attention
to the suitability of the entrance. It must be small enough to prevent rob-
ber bees, squirrels and birds from getting in, yet wide enough for bees re-
turning laden with nectar or pollen to enter. Otherwise, these bees will
have to wait at the entrance in order to take their turns. Smaller entrances