Shape of cells

[mintmoth]

I found an old thread in the forum where a bit of a discussion started as to whether bees are happier with a flat edges upwards or "corners" upwards when they use their cells.

I had assumed that as the bees were working with soft wax, they just built the cells round-shaped since their bodies are pretty much cylindrical, and in much the same way that if you put a straw in a bowl full of washing up water and blow bubbles, the bubbles as they amass gradually assume a hexagonal shape, so do the wax cells in a comb. So cells would naturally form a flat side onto the fixing point, and as bees add more cells these develop a hexagonal shape while the wax is soft and more cells are placed against them.

Is that wrong? If they have no foundation to start with do bees actually set out to shape each cell into a hexagon?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm not afraid to ask them and I'm really curious to know.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Is that wrong?

No, you've got it about right. Here are a couple of short articles to whet your appetite: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/secrets-of-bee-honeycombs-revealed-11465.html and https://suite.io/catherine-whitlock/1yy924x

If you search for "Darwin bee comb" you'll find plenty more to read.

 

[mintmoth]

Thanks for the reply, BeeJoyful. So the bees aren't bothered which way up is the top of the cell, it just naturally occurs that cells are flat side up. Curiosity satisfied!

 

[Swarm]

Thanks for the reply, BeeJoyful. So the bees aren't bothered which way up is the top of the cell, it just naturally occurs that cells are flat side up. Curiosity satisfied!

More often point side up.

 

[Tom Bick]

Take a close look at the two combs both attached to the same top bar so the same hive. This was the first time I spotted it but I have now seen it a few times and every angle in between.

 

[mintmoth]

Lovely pic Tom, thanks.

 

[BeeJayBee]

So the bees aren't bothered which way up is the top of the cell, it just naturally occurs that cells are flat side up. Curiosity satisfied!

Not flat side up, so they say (or said), and is why foundation has a right way up - with the points at the top of each cell. Tom's pictures suggests bees think otherwise if they have a choice, and so does Michael Bush - his pictures are about 2/3 down this page http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm

Even so, you might like to read a bit about Housel Positioning. Try this for starters. http://www.beesource.com/point-of-v...ning-how-i-view-its-importance-to-beekeeping/

 

[mintmoth]

Great links, Beejoyful, thanks. I'm enjoying reading about all this stuff. Bees are so endlessly fascinating in so many aspects.