Scientists have discovered that honeybees use social distancing to protect their hive when the colony is under threat from parasites.The study demonstrated how honeybees respond to an infestation from a harmful mite by modifying their interactions, much as humans were asked to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular the bees were found to increase the distance between young bees in the innermost part of the colony and older forager bees who occupy the outermost compartment.
Image:
Low-temperature scanning electron micrograph of Varroa destructor on a honey bee host
“Honeybees are a social animal, as they benefit from dividing up responsibilities and interactions such as mutual grooming, but when thos …
