Honeybees do not naturally insulate their colonies against the cold, according to new research by the University of Leeds.
Honeybees do not naturally insulate their colonies against the cold, according to new research by the University of Leeds.
The results of the study carried out by Derek Mitchell, a PhD student in the University of Leeds’ School of Mechanical Engineering, suggest that the creatures are potentially being subjected to thermally-induced stress and may mean that beekeepers have to change their practices.
He is calling for further debate on the ethical treatment of insects, saying his research appears to contradict the widely-accepted theory that the bees’ reaction to cold temperatures is to form layers of insulation – an idea that has led to them being housed in hives that are extremely poorly insulated compared to their natural habitat.
Read more at: University of Leeds
Beehives in a bare landscape, via infrared. (Photo Credit: D Mitchell)
