Page 41 - The Miracle of the Honeybee

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A guard bee
at the en-
trance to the
hive

sting glands develop and they start to produce venom. At this stage, the
bees stand sentry at the hive entrance and keep out uninvited guests.
Every creature which approaches—bees included—can enter only after
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being identified by the guard. If the guard bee should happen to leave
her post, she is immediately replaced by another worker, who takes over
the guard duty.
The way bees stand guard over the hive may be compared to how im-
migration officers work on national frontiers. A country’s border security
is of the greatest importance, for which reason a large number of precau-
tions are taken. In the same way, security in the hive is also very impor-
tant: Guard bees allow absolutely no strangers into the hive.
All the bees bear a very close resemblance to one another, yet any for-

Workers releasing alarm chemicals through the hive

Adnan Oktar