Traditional wooden hives used by beekeepers differ significantly from the natural nests that honey bees evolved to inhabit. These artificial hives are designed for human convenience and honey production, often neglecting the bees’ natural preferences and needs.
Honey bees, originally tropical insects, adapted to cold climates by evolving complex behaviors to find and select optimal tree cavities for nesting. These bees use scouts to measure potential nests based on specific criteria, communicate findings, and vote on the best option, emphasizing the importance of nest quality for their survival.
However, current research on managed honey bees rarely considers these evolved nest preferences. An international survey by the Federation of Irish Beekeepers includes only basic questions about hives, and there are no standardized methods to evaluate hive quality, in contrast to the elaborate selection process used by bees.
To address this gap, recent research employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to compare heat loss between man-made hives and natural tree nests. Heat retention is crucial for bees, who need to maintain specific internal temperatures. Findings reveal that tree nests lose significantly less heat than conventional hives. CFD visualizations also highlighted substantial differences in internal air circulation between tree nests and hives.
The study, Are man-made hives valid thermal surrogates for natural honey bee nests?, also showed that features added for beekeepers’ convenience, such as removable frames, increase heat loss. These insights suggest that artificial hives may hinder bees’ ability to cope with environmental pressures.
Historically, hive experiments in the 1930s led to the belief that hive differences were negligible, a doctrine that persists today. This has caused modern research to overlook critical physical characteristics of hives and their alignment with bees’ evolved preferences.
Reevaluating and improving hive designs based on honey bees’ natural nest selection processes could enhance their survival and resilience.
