Für die Aufnahmen schnitten die Forscher Waben längs auf und montierten daran eine Glasscheibe. (Symbolfoto)
© Terri Sharp/pixabay
Frankfurt – Scientists from the Goethe University in Frankfurt have documented the behavior of honey bees in the cells of the honeycomb for the first time with high-resolution photos and videos. The researchers led by biologist Paul Siefert from the Institute for Apiculture at Goethe University Frankfurt are now making the rare images available on the Internet. The aim is to raise awareness of the social processes in the bee colonies. The contribution was in the journal Plos one released.
The recordings show how honey bees take care of their brood, how they take care of their eggs, how they make what is known as bee bread from collected pollen, or how they eat dead roommates in order to clean the hive. Some of the processes and behaviors were described in text as early as 1952, but there are no high-resolution images, said Siefer. According to him, there are only comparatively blurred VHS sequences that were filmed in 1987.
For the recordings, the researchers cut open honeycombs lengthways and attached a pane of glass to them. After the bees got used to the new environment, the scientists were able to film from the side into the cells – without disturbing the animals. According to Siefert, the particular challenge was that work was carried out with red light and the exact incubation temperature had to be maintained. (APA / dpa)
📽️ Video | Behavior of honeybees: