Honeycomb is a remarkable natural structure crafted by honey bees, consisting of a mass of tightly packed, six-sided cells. These hexagonal compartments, built with precision, form the internal architecture of a beehive. This intricate design provides a highly organized and efficient space within their colony.
The Primary Building Material
Honeycomb is constructed from beeswax, a natural wax produced by honey bees. Worker bees, typically between 12 and 18 days old, secrete this wax from eight specialized glands located on the underside of their abdomens. Beeswax emerges as small, clear, and colorless flakes or scales, each about 3 millimeters across and 0.1 millimeters thick.
Beeswax is a complex lipid, primarily composed of esters of fatty acids and long-chain alcohols. This unique composition gives beeswax its characteristic physical properties: it is pliable when warm, solidifies when cool, and has a relatively low melting point, typically ranging from 61 to 65°C. When cold, beeswax is somewhat brittle, but it becomes malleable and plastic around 32°C, which is close to the hive’s internal temperature.
How Bees Construct the Comb
Bees construct honeycomb through a collaborative and intricate process. After secreting the wax scales, worker bees collect them using their legs and and mandibles. They chew and soften the wax, often mixing it with salivary secretions, to make it pliable for building. Bees mold this softened wax into hexagonal cells.
The hexagonal shape is a highly efficient design. Bees instinctively adopt this geometry because it allows them to enclose the maximum possible area while using the least amount of wax. This minimizes material usage and maximizes storage capacity. The hexagon’s six sides and 120-degree angles provide significant structural integrity, making the comb strong and capable of supporting substantial weight. Bees also slightly angle the cells upwards, between 9 and 14 degrees, to prevent stored liquids like honey from dripping out.
The Purpose of Honeycomb
Honeycomb serves multiple essential functions for a bee colony. One primary use is storing honey, the bees’ vital food source and energy reserve. Bees fill the hexagonal cells with honey and then cap them with a thin layer of wax to preserve it.
Honeycomb also stores pollen, a crucial food source for bees, providing essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The comb also acts as a nursery for the colony’s developing young, known as brood. The queen bee lays eggs within cells, which then house the larvae and pupae as they grow, ensuring the continuation of the colony. Honeycomb also provides structural support for the hive, creating a well-organized interior that facilitates movement and communication.