How an outdoor bee nest happens

Q: Have you ever heard of an exposed honeybee hive? Is it common around here? Tim Thompson, Bartow County

A: The phenomenon of seeing the wax from an outdoor bee nest (not beehive) is not unknown, but it is certainly unusual. It is what’s left after a swarm of bees, led by a queen, can’t find a sheltered space in which to set up permanent housekeeping. Instead, the queen and her retinue alight on a limb and signal that this is the spot. Some of the workers begin collecting propolis, a strong material made from tree resin, beeswax and honey. It is what holds the nest in place and forms the structure of the nest. In the days that follow, the workers divide themselves into foragers and housekeepers. The housekeepers begin constructing the hexagonal cells for which bees are known. Forager bees get busy finding nearby sources of nectar and pollen to put in the upper cells of the nest. The queen is moved to the lower cells and she begins laying eggs. When foragers return, housekeepers take their load, mix it with bee enzymes and start drying it, fanning with their wings to evaporate water. Things progress nicely during the summer, and the wax structure of the nest grows larger as the queen lays eggs. Replacements emerge and go about the business of building the nest and making honey to fill the cells. Then cooler weather arrives. The queen leaves to spend winter in a protected place. As winter approaches, the workers gather in the center of the nest, using their body heat to keep warm. They bring in some of the larvae in order to keep them warm too. But it gets too cold to survive; the last workers and larvae die and fall from the nest. And you come walking along and see the nest ... and the rest of the story is in your hands.

Credit: Tim Thompson

Credit: Tim Thompson