The honey bee cluster as a homeothermic superorganism

Effect of Honey Bee Colony Strength on Foraging Productivity and Its Application to Precision Pollination

“…These findings indicate that the benefits of colony strength during dearth are most pronounced when forage scarcity coincides with elevated thermoregulation costs at cooler temperatures. This interpretation aligns with physiological research showing that thermoregulation is more energy efficient in larger colonies, as heat production and retention scale with the number of bees [54][55][56]. While Free and Racey found that smaller colonies consumed less honey per bee [57], Harbo observed that larger colonies lost less weight per bee during winter as well as during summer dearth [28].…”

Effect of Honey Bee Colony Strength on Foraging Productivity and Its Application to Precision Pollination

“…These findings indicate that the benefits of colony strength during dearth are most pronounced when forage scarcity coincides with elevated thermoregulation costs at cooler temperatures. This interpretation aligns with physiological research showing that thermoregulation is more energy efficient in larger colonies, as heat production and retention scale with the number of bees [54][55][56]. While Free and Racey found that smaller colonies consumed less honey per bee [57], Harbo observed that larger colonies lost less weight per bee during winter as well as during summer dearth [28].…”

Diurnal and Seasonal Changes in Thermal Preference of Single, Isolated Bees and Small Groups of Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

“…Moreover, there were significant nycthemeral alterations between nocturnal clustering together and diurnal dispersion of the bees. The daily differences in thermal preference exhibited by small groups of bees in our experiments resemble behavioural responses of the honeybee colony (Fahrenholz et al 1989;Heinrich 1981a, b;Kronenberg and Heller 1982;Moore 2001;Moritz and Fuchs 1998;Schmickl and Crailsheim 2004;Seeley and Heinrich 1981;Seeley 1989;Southwick 1982Southwick , 1983Southwick and Moritz 1987;Stabentheiner et al 2003a, b;Starks and Gilley 1999;Tautz 2008;Watmough and Camazine 1995). Such a cooperation of the group members probably reduces the unfavourable heat loss during the night's rest (as a consequence of a substantial reduction of the overall surface area) and facilitates adaptive heat dissipation during diurnal activity of honeybees.…”

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) size determines colony heat transfer when brood covering or distributed

“…It has been observed that the length of body hair on honey bees has a correlation with latitude (Ruttner 1988 ). The longer hair has been credited with giving greater heat retention when tightly clustered (Southwick 1983 ); however, it can be seen that the upper limit of thermal resistance is reached well before cylinder packing limit (Fig. 4 ).…”

Effect of Honey Bee Colony Strength on Foraging Productivity and Its Application to Precision Pollination

“…These findings indicate that the benefits of colony strength during dearth are most pronounced when forage scarcity coincides with elevated thermoregulation costs at cooler temperatures. This interpretation aligns with physiological research showing that thermoregulation is more energy efficient in larger colonies, as heat production and retention scale with the number of bees [54][55][56]. While Free and Racey found that smaller colonies consumed less honey per bee [57], Harbo observed that larger colonies lost less weight per bee during winter as well as during summer dearth [28].…”

Diurnal and Seasonal Changes in Thermal Preference of Single, Isolated Bees and Small Groups of Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

“…Moreover, there were significant nycthemeral alterations between nocturnal clustering together and diurnal dispersion of the bees. The daily differences in thermal preference exhibited by small groups of bees in our experiments resemble behavioural responses of the honeybee colony (Fahrenholz et al 1989;Heinrich 1981a, b;Kronenberg and Heller 1982;Moore 2001;Moritz and Fuchs 1998;Schmickl and Crailsheim 2004;Seeley and Heinrich 1981;Seeley 1989;Southwick 1982Southwick , 1983Southwick and Moritz 1987;Stabentheiner et al 2003a, b;Starks and Gilley 1999;Tautz 2008;Watmough and Camazine 1995). Such a cooperation of the group members probably reduces the unfavourable heat loss during the night's rest (as a consequence of a substantial reduction of the overall surface area) and facilitates adaptive heat dissipation during diurnal activity of honeybees.…”

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) size determines colony heat transfer when brood covering or distributed

“…It has been observed that the length of body hair on honey bees has a correlation with latitude (Ruttner 1988 ). The longer hair has been credited with giving greater heat retention when tightly clustered (Southwick 1983 ); however, it can be seen that the upper limit of thermal resistance is reached well before cylinder packing limit (Fig. 4 ).…”

Effect of Honey Bee Colony Strength on Foraging Productivity and Its Application to Precision Pollination

“…These findings indicate that the benefits of colony strength during dearth are most pronounced when forage scarcity coincides with elevated thermoregulation costs at cooler temperatures. This interpretation aligns with physiological research showing that thermoregulation is more energy efficient in larger colonies, as heat production and retention scale with the number of bees [54][55][56]. While Free and Racey found that smaller colonies consumed less honey per bee [57], Harbo observed that larger colonies lost less weight per bee during winter as well as during summer dearth [28].…”

Diurnal and Seasonal Changes in Thermal Preference of Single, Isolated Bees and Small Groups of Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

“…Moreover, there were significant nycthemeral alterations between nocturnal clustering together and diurnal dispersion of the bees. The daily differences in thermal preference exhibited by small groups of bees in our experiments resemble behavioural responses of the honeybee colony (Fahrenholz et al 1989;Heinrich 1981a, b;Kronenberg and Heller 1982;Moore 2001;Moritz and Fuchs 1998;Schmickl and Crailsheim 2004;Seeley and Heinrich 1981;Seeley 1989;Southwick 1982Southwick , 1983Southwick and Moritz 1987;Stabentheiner et al 2003a, b;Starks and Gilley 1999;Tautz 2008;Watmough and Camazine 1995). Such a cooperation of the group members probably reduces the unfavourable heat loss during the night's rest (as a consequence of a substantial reduction of the overall surface area) and facilitates adaptive heat dissipation during diurnal activity of honeybees.…”

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) size determines colony heat transfer when brood covering or distributed

“…It has been observed that the length of body hair on honey bees has a correlation with latitude (Ruttner 1988 ). The longer hair has been credited with giving greater heat retention when tightly clustered (Southwick 1983 ); however, it can be seen that the upper limit of thermal resistance is reached well before cylinder packing limit (Fig. 4 ).…”