Why are there so many bees?
It seems and it seems that there have always been many bees, but everyone wanted to figure out why? Maybe evolution? Or maybe just like that? About the bees and will be discussed under the cut.
Looking ahead, I will say right away - no, there are as many bees as there should be
Like most animals at the very beginning, there were not so many bees as lately.
But over time, the bees learned to extract honey very productively, with the result that a large supply of energy remained for the winter. This prompted the bees to afford to spend the winter, despite the fact that it would require a lot of energy.
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Bees began to winter during the evolution.
When bees overwinter, they gather in a large club and migrate in honeycombs. What for? This is because the bees move in this club to warm it. And the lower layers can, after being refreshed with honey and warmed up, again go to the upper layers and warm all the bees inside the club.
Note In the following we assume that the shape of a bee is a cube. And the shape of the club then also cube.
One bee releases energy on all 6 sides in proportion to the square of the cube's edges (which is equal to r) when honey is consumed. At the same time, the whole club also requires energy from all 6 sides, also proportional to the square of the length of the cube ®. And the number of bees in the club can be calculated as N = R * R * R / (r * r * r).
From here you can get the time at which a club of bees can live in winter, this is the lifetime of one bee multiplied by the number of bees, the heat generation of bees and divided by the absorption of heat by the club of bees:
T = t * N * (r * r * 6) / (R * R * 6) = t * N ^ (1/3)
In the future, we assume that the bee lives in bad conditions for 5 days, and in good conditions up to 35.
For example, 27000 individuals can survive approximately 5 * 27000 ^ (1/3) = 150 days, while 512 bees can only stretch for about 40 days.
The number of bees for the winter should be large enough to survive the winter.
It seems that this is the end of the question, but half a year remains, about which there has been nothing to say. Why are there too many in spring? And in the summer? But everything is easier than in the winter. The large number of bees in the spring is due to many factors:
To be more objective, consider the close relatives of bees - bumblebees.
Bumblebees do not overwinter, collect little honey (for several days to protect themselves from the weather), every year they have a new colony and a new nest.
This is the way of development of bees, if they had not learned to collect a large amount of honey.
There is a species that went the other way, in contrast to the bees and at the same time lived to our days.
The life of bees, like many other social animals, is intriguing and interesting in terms of learning. Perhaps it motivates someone to start exploring the animal world, or at least to conduct their observations of various animals.
PS If something is wrong, I will be glad to correct.
PPS The material is compiled to the Three Sciences Tournament by me and my team mates, for which many thanks to them!
Looking ahead, I will say right away - no, there are as many bees as there should be
Bee history
Like most animals at the very beginning, there were not so many bees as lately.
But over time, the bees learned to extract honey very productively, with the result that a large supply of energy remained for the winter. This prompted the bees to afford to spend the winter, despite the fact that it would require a lot of energy.
')
First conclusion
Bees began to winter during the evolution.
Wintering process
When bees overwinter, they gather in a large club and migrate in honeycombs. What for? This is because the bees move in this club to warm it. And the lower layers can, after being refreshed with honey and warmed up, again go to the upper layers and warm all the bees inside the club.
Wintering rating
Note In the following we assume that the shape of a bee is a cube. And the shape of the club then also cube.
One bee releases energy on all 6 sides in proportion to the square of the cube's edges (which is equal to r) when honey is consumed. At the same time, the whole club also requires energy from all 6 sides, also proportional to the square of the length of the cube ®. And the number of bees in the club can be calculated as N = R * R * R / (r * r * r).
From here you can get the time at which a club of bees can live in winter, this is the lifetime of one bee multiplied by the number of bees, the heat generation of bees and divided by the absorption of heat by the club of bees:
T = t * N * (r * r * 6) / (R * R * 6) = t * N ^ (1/3)
In the future, we assume that the bee lives in bad conditions for 5 days, and in good conditions up to 35.
Numerical examples
For example, 27000 individuals can survive approximately 5 * 27000 ^ (1/3) = 150 days, while 512 bees can only stretch for about 40 days.
Second conclusion
The number of bees for the winter should be large enough to survive the winter.
Spring life
It seems that this is the end of the question, but half a year remains, about which there has been nothing to say. Why are there too many in spring? And in the summer? But everything is easier than in the winter. The large number of bees in the spring is due to many factors:
- Preparing for the winter (collecting nectar, water, materials and other things)
- Protection against pests / parasites / wasps (protection of the beehive against attacks on the uterus and honey)
- Preparing to crush the family of the hive (new uterus flies out of the hive, taking part of the bees with them to build a new hive)
Alternative version
To be more objective, consider the close relatives of bees - bumblebees.
Bumblebees do not overwinter, collect little honey (for several days to protect themselves from the weather), every year they have a new colony and a new nest.
This is the way of development of bees, if they had not learned to collect a large amount of honey.
Third conclusion
There is a species that went the other way, in contrast to the bees and at the same time lived to our days.
In custody
The life of bees, like many other social animals, is intriguing and interesting in terms of learning. Perhaps it motivates someone to start exploring the animal world, or at least to conduct their observations of various animals.
PS If something is wrong, I will be glad to correct.
PPS The material is compiled to the Three Sciences Tournament by me and my team mates, for which many thanks to them!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/397911/
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