A S Y O U C O M M A N D M Y Q U E E N .

J E F F R E Y A N D K L E M E N T E

H O N E Y B E E S A N D M AT H ?

• Some questions are difficult to answer through observation

• We can model these systems and provide defined areas of focus for researchers

W H AT A B O U T T H E B E E S ?

• Honey Bees create hives of hexagonal cells that are filled with larvae, brood, and pollen.

• We don’t know how Honey Bees maintain their hive structures or why some hives fail.

• Models offer insight

W H AT D O W E K N O W ?

• Queen Bees deposit larvae (brood) into cells.

• Worker Bees collect pollen for food and nectar to make honey.

• Nurse Bees raise larvae with honey and pollen.

• Thus brood need to be close to honey cells

P O L L E N C E L L

H O N E Y C E L L

M A N Y FA C T O R S I N F L U E N C E R E S O U R C E D I S T R I B U T I O N W I T H I N A H I V E

• Temperature

• Pollen availability

• Size of hive

• Amount of resources consumed

• The number of eggs a queen lays an hour

T H E C O M P U T E R M O D E L

• 45 cells wide

• 75 cells tall

• 60 day period

• 12 hour day and night cycles

• Queen lays 42-84 eggs an hour

T H E C O M P U T E R M O D E L C O N T I N U E D

• Queen’s cell variation rate; cells per hour

• Preferential nectar consumption radius; cells

• Average honey collection; loads per day

T H E M O D E L C O N T I N U E D

• Ratio of pollen collection to honey collection

• Ratio of pollen consumption to pollen collection

• Ration of honey consumption to honey collection

• Temporal distribution of daily nectar and pollen collection

W H AT D O E S T H E M O D E L T E L L S C I E N T I S T S ?

• Sensitivity

• Queen visitation rate

• Average honey per day

• Ratio of pollen collection to honey collection

T U R N S O U T

• If you bias the queens movement towards the center of the hive, honey bees will maintain the patterning seen in nature.

• Bees do not need to know where everything is in the hive.

• Focusing on a few factors is key to understanding how Honey Bee’s organize their hives.