Does each bee have its own personality?

We have often stressed that bees are social animals and that their behaviors are closely related to group life in hive . Bees form very compact groups called swarms which are nothing but a large family. But can a bee have its own personality or is it always influenced by the behavior of the group? Let's find out more.

Life in the swarm

The life of bees within the swarm is truly hectic. Each bee carries out a specific task and the division of tasks is perfect. Bees have managed to create one of the most complex animal kingdoms. Such efficient collaboration in a group of so many individuals would be impossible for us human beings. We remind you that a swarm can count up to 60,000 components. Now imagine how complicated it is to coordinate the work of such a large group. Bees are able to survive thanks to their own collaboration efficiency.

The personality of bees

A question arises: if bees adapt to group life, do they have a personality of their own? The answer is Yes. Although each bee pays particular attention to the needs of the swarm , each of them is able to have different inclinations which we define as "personality".

A study published in 2016 in the journal Science showed that individuals behave in different ways and that they prefer some tasks to others. Although they are generally considered to be very hardworking creatures , within the same hive there are bees that are more active and predisposed to adventure and others that are quieter and more timid. It can therefore be said that each bee is unique and different, just like us human beings.

Division of tasks in the hive

The hive is run by very strict rules. Each bee has its own defined task and deals with a specific sector. A swarm can survive when it respects a few simple rules including good cleaning to avoid the onset of diseases, sufficient supplies of food available and keeping the queen bee healthy. When bees communicate with each other to coordinate, they do so through olfactory hormones and particular circular dances that they perform in flight. In all this, bees tend to listen more to older bees than younger bees.

Queen bee

The queen bee can be defined as the mother of all bees. It forms the beating heart of a beehive. The queen also has a personality. In fact, she is very attached to her family and to her worker bees. It will spend its entire life producing eggs to ensure the turnover of bees. The eggs that a queen produces in her lifetime are thousands! As she gets older, however, the bees prepare to replace her with a new queen. It is precisely at this moment that the queen bee shows all her jealousy and tries to delay the construction of royal cells as much as possible by emanating pheromones. Pheromones inhibit some bee behaviors and serve to maintain control of their actions. However, there comes a time when the queen's pheromones are no longer enough and she is forced to leave her family forever.

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