Page 166 - Design in Nature

164 DESIGN IN NATURE

The Design of Honeybees’ Defence Strategy
Giant hornets in Japan are perfect enemies for the honeybees of Europe.
30 hornets attacking a hive can exterminate about 30,000 bees in three hours.
But the honeybees are created with a perfect defence mechanism.
When a hornet discovers a new bee colony, it communicates the news
to others by secreting a special smell. The same odour is also detected by the
honeybees, which start congregating at the entrance of the beehive for
defence. When a hornet draws near, approximately 500 honeybees
immediately surround it. They start vibrating their bodies and increase their
body temperatures. This, to the wasp, feels like being stuck in an oven and
at the end of this the wasp dies. In the heat sensitive photograph of such an
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0
attack, the temperature of the white areas can reach 118 F (48 C). Such a high
temperature is bearable for
honeybees but lethal to the
hornets. 55

The defence weapon of the
honeybees is their sting. However,
when their sting is not effective, they
can use increased body heat to kill
their enemies. Similarly, honeybees
can kill a hornet by using their
bodies. In the heat sensitive
photograph of such an attack, the
temperature of the red areas can
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reach 118 F (48 C).