Uploaded June 2010 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Time lapse recording of a group of honeybees in an arena with a changing thermal gradient. The false color overlay represents the temperature distribution in the arena. Young honeybees aggregate at areas of preferred temperature (36° C, 97° F). For the first 15 min real-time (up to 00:30 in time lapse) this area is located at the left side (yellow color), while a sub-optimal temperature area (32° C, 90° F, red color) is located at the right side. As soon as the bees are aggregated at the optimum area the heat source is shut off (0:15:00 - 0:50:00 real-time, 00:30 - 00:40 in time lapse) and the original optimum area cools down. As soon as its temperature has dropped sufficiently, the aggregation dissolves and the bees start to form a new aggregation at the original sub-optimal spot which is now closest to their preferred temperature. The bees' ability to "revise" their original decision is not as obvious as it appears: Experiments have shown that bees prefer social contact over optimal temperature and are reluctant to leave an existing aggregation.
Time lapse recording of a group of honeybees in an arena with a changing thermal gradient. The false color overlay represents the temperature distribution in the arena. Young honeybees aggregate at areas of preferred temperature (36° C, 97° F). For the first 15 min real-time (up to 00:30 in time lapse) this area is located at the left side (yellow color), while a sub-optimal temperature area (32° C, 90° F, red color) is located at the right side. As soon as the bees are aggregated at the optimum area the heat source is shut off (0:15:00 - 0:50:00 real-time, 00:30 - 00:40 in time lapse) and the original optimum area cools down. As soon as its temperature has dropped sufficiently, the aggregation dissolves and the bees start to form a new aggregation at the original sub-optimal spot which is now closest to their preferred temperature. The bees' ability to "revise" their original decision is not as obvious as it appears: Experiments have shown that bees prefer social contact over optimal temperature and are reluctant to leave an existing aggregation.
