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Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees

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Published on: November 15, 2017

Brood comb as a humidity buffer in honeybee nests.

Michael B Ellis¹, Sue W Nicolson, Robin M Crewe

¹Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.

Die Naturwissenschaften

|March 6, 2010

Summary

Honeybee larvae cocoons absorb significant moisture, buffering humidity within hives. This hygroscopic silk accumulation helps maintain stable conditions, potentially increasing honeybee brood survivorship.

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Area of Science:

Entomology
Environmental Science
Physiology

Background:

Organisms adapt to environmental challenges through evasion, tolerance, or modification.
Insect larvae cocoons offer protection and modify microclimates for thermoregulation and reduced water loss.
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) larvae spin silk cocoons integrated into wax combs, impacting nest homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the hygroscopic capacity of honeybee cocoons.
To determine the influence of cocoon accumulation on nest humidity regulation.

Main Methods:

Measuring water absorption of honeybee comb containing cocoons at high humidity.
Comparing water absorption of cocoon-laden comb with newly drawn comb lacking cocoons.

Main Results:

Comb with cocoons absorbed 11% of its mass in water over 4 days at high humidity.
Comb without cocoons absorbed only 3% of its mass in water under the same conditions.
Honeybee cocoons demonstrate significant hygroscopic properties.

Conclusions:

Accumulated honeybee cocoons significantly increase the comb's capacity to buffer humidity fluctuations.
This hygroscopic buffering by cocoons likely contributes to maintaining high and stable cell humidity.
Stable nest humidity, facilitated by cocoons, may enhance honeybee brood survivorship.