While one part of the colony waits in a mass, the scout bees are very active. Indeed, they have begun their preparations long before. A few days before leaving the hive, these scouts have spread out in search of new settlement sites. On occasion they fly for several kilometers.98

Bees swarming

The scouts carefully examine the fissures and tree trunks in which they might establish a new hive. The large number of scouts seek possible new locations for the colony and literally carry out settlement planning, make various calculations to arrive at a common decision of the suitability of the new hive site. Then they again act together, returning to the colony and leading it to the new site.

If a scout finds a suitable hole or cavity, she examines it systematically, sometimes for hours on end. She checks the external appearance by flying around it. She also generally enters the hole and walks around in it, first moving to the entrance, and then walking around the inside, examining the inner surfaces. Thomas Seeley of Yale University, who made a special study of this, calculated that a single bee walks more than 50 meters (164 feet). In his experiment, using artificial cylindrical hives capable of revolving around their own axes, Seeley revealed how far bees had to walk to examine the interior of the hive, and that in this way, they calculated the volumes of dimly illuminated cavities.99

The bees flying off to look for new sites can sometimes be as many as two dozen. Thanks to their efforts, the colony obtains information about several possible sites at the same time. Eventually, the workers decide among the potential sites by visiting each one, reducing them to two or three. Eventually, agreement is reached on which site will be best, and the new hive is established there. The colony thus selects the best possible site-at least, according to the scout bees' evaluations.

The decision-making process over the site of the new hive may last for several days. Each scout inspects each potential site very carefully, and it takes time for up to 500 workers to compare different alternatives and agree on a common decision. During this time, the other bees continue waiting on the tree in a mass, as already described, and set off for the new nest only when a final decision has been taken by the scouts, who accompany them on their final leg of the journey.

To understand the importance of what the scout bees do, let us re-examine the stages of this process, one by one. First, how do the scouts decide on the suitability of the new site they find?

When looking for a new nest, the scout bees bear a number of details in mind such as its height from the ground, whether any holes in it can be patched, and the size of the internal area. They also pay special attention to the suitability of the entrance. It must be small enough to prevent robber bees, squirrels and birds from getting in, yet wide enough for bees returning laden with nectar or pollen to enter. Otherwise, these bees will have to wait at the entrance in order to take their turns. Smaller entrances are generally preferred, since if the entrance is very wide, it will be more difficult to defend. In addition, since there will be a major loss of heat through ventilation, it will be more difficult to regulate the hive's internal temperature.100

The scout bees move off in search of a new hive and return to inform the others of the sites they have found. Eventually, unanimity is established and the group moves off. The above drawings represent the dances observed to be performed for four days until a common decision is arrived at. North is pointing upwards. The length of the lines indicates the distance of the region and the thickness, the number of dances performed in that direction. (James and Carol Gould, The Animal Mind, p. 66.)

Another of the necessary features in order for a site to be used as a hive is the size of the nest. Let us consider a hollow tree trunk, for example. If the inside is very large, it will be difficult for the bees to keep the hive warm. However, bees generally prefer the nest to be large rather than small, since unnecessary spaces can be filled with propolis. Problems that arise if the hive is too narrow will be more serious. If the area used for storing honey is too small, insufficient quantities can be laid by for the winter-a severe problem that could lead to the death of the entire colony.101

Another detail concerns which direction the hive's entrance faces. A north-facing entrance will be colder, thus unsuitable for a shelter. The scouts also bear this important detail in mind when looking for a new site.102

Once they identify the site and decide on its suitability, scouts mark it with their scent, just as they do with flowers. The bees expose their scent glands and remain in the hive site for a while, thus allowing it to take on the scent of the colony.103

These pictures show bees which have arrived at a joint decision and constructed their nest in tree

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• 98. Karl von Frisch, Aus Dem Leben Der Bienen, p.61
• 99. Thomas Seeley, “Measurement of Nest Cavity Volume by the Honey Bee,” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Vol. 2, No. 2, June 1977, pp. 201-227
• 100. Edward O.Wilson, The Insect Societies, p.306
• 101. Karl von Frisch, Animal Architecture, p.84
• 102. Ernst Neufert, NEUFERT, trans. Abdullah Erkan, Guven Publishing, 30th edition, 1983, p.5
• 103. Edward O.Wilson, The Insect Societies, p.230

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