Meeting Abstract
Honeybees exhibit fine control of the microclimate inside their nests. For example, nest temperature is maintained at approximately 36 degrees Celsius despite drastic fluctuations in ambient temperature. When temperature inside the nest rises above a threshold, worker bees assemble at the nest entrance and fan their wings, expelling warm, CO2-rich air from the hive at flow speeds of up to 4 m/s. Fanning bees tend to form tightly clustered aggregates and establish clearly defined regions of inflow and outflow. We investigated the mechanics of individual fanning behavior and explored how local aerodynamic interactions among individuals influence energetic efficiency. We also explored how the positioning of fanning aggregates at the nest entrance can influence the global flow structure in the nest in response to ventilation challenges.
