Born to Dance

摘要

Most insects that live in cold temperate regions are dormant in winter: carpenter ants hide out in their nests; praying mantises survive the winter as frost-proof eggs. But not honeybees (Apis mel-lifera). Pressing together to form a well-insulated cluster the size of a volleyball, and exercising their powerful flight muscles to generate heat, the bees maintain a warm microhabitat inside their hive. Even on winter nights with subzero temperatures, the outermost bees in the cluster rarely cool below 50℉, and those in the center of the cluster experience downright balmy temperatures of 80℉ or more. The fuel for this winter-long heating process is the honey they stockpile inside their hives.