BEE LINE

Beautiful and intimate images reveal extraordinary insights into the social structure, communication, defensive strategies and sex lives of wild honeybees

- PAUL BLOOMFIELD

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Ingo Arndt and Jürgen Tautz have come together to publish Honey Bees (Natural History Museum, £25). Ingo is an award-winning German nature photographer and more of his work can be seen at ingoarndt.com. Jürgen is a leading bee expert, behavioural scientist, sociobiologist, author and retired professor.

Thirsty work

Like zebras at a waterhole, western honeybees line up at a small pool to collect water. But they aren't simply quenching their thirst: water is used to cool the nest (workers fan their wings to promote evaporation) and dilute the honey that is fed to the older larvae.

Frozen in flight

Keeping her head steady as she prepares to land, this honeybee constantly scans her environment with eyes and antennae sensing touch, taste and smell - enabling her to navigate to food sources and home again.

Hot buzz

Thermal imaging reveals temperature differences between less-active bees (blue), those preparing for take-off (white) and others that are warming the nest (paler orange) vibrating flight muscles to keep it about 35°C.

Home sweet home

A swarm arrives at a tree hollow tagged with a chemical beacon by 'scouts' to guide each bee to its new home. Swarming occurs when a hive becomes too crowded, stimulating the production of new queens. One of these will take over the colony, while the existing queen departs with thousands of her 'subjects' to establish a new nest.

Give and take