Bees absorb about 100 million flowers of nectar to fill one hive of honeycombs. During this time, they have been flapping about 90 to 100,000 km of wings. Have you ever seen honeycomb as beautiful as this? It's what happens if you leave it to the bees and do not put frames in the box.
This particular heart-shaped honeycomb was constructed by bees at Bodiam Castle in Robertsbridge, United Kingdom. And these shapes are certainly not random! They are specifically built that way to regulate airflow inside the colony to maintain an ideal temperature.
According to Arnia Remote Hive Monitoring: "Brood nest temperature is of extreme importance to the colony and is controlled with utmost precision. Honey bees maintain the temperature of the brood nest between 32°C and optimally 35°C so that the brood develops normally."
If the temperature of the hive is too high or too low, the bees make adjustments. Image Credit: @nationaltrust / Facebook
"When the temperature in the nest is too high the bees ventilate by fanning the hot air out of the nest or use evaporative cooling mechanisms, ARHM says. "When the temperature is too low bees generate metabolic heat by contracting and relaxing their flight muscles." Bees are amazing!