Scientists have discovered a group of worker honeybees specially adapted to construct the queen’s waxy residence within the hive. These worker bees are responsible for various tasks, such as food collection, nurturing young bees, and caring for the queen, who lays all the eggs.

Recent research reveals that the honeybees creating the queen’s dwelling undergo a fever to melt and mix specific chemicals into the wax. “No one had ever thought that there might be a specialized group of workers building these queen cells,” said Julia Bowsher from North Dakota State University, who was not involved in the study.

The bees identified were younger and displayed unique gene expression patterns suited for the task. The resulting peanut-shaped home was distinct, made of softer wax with a higher melting point compared to those housing worker bees. Queens are fed royal jelly secreted by worker bees, and it was believed that diet alone formed a queen. However, new findings published in the journal Nature indicate that the queen’s environment also contributes. Researchers tested this by raising baby queens in cups capped with either queen or worker wax. Although fed royal jelly, queens in worker wax were smaller and had lower survival rates.

“For centuries, we believed ‘you are what you eat’ was the only rule for making a queen bee. Our study rewrites that rule to say ‘you are where you live, too,’” stated Kai Wang, a co-author of the study from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in an email.

These findings provide a rare glimpse inside the hive, but many questions remain unanswered. Honeybees play a crucial role in pollinating and ensuring the survival of crops like blueberries, squash, watermelon, and almonds. Further research is essential to comprehensively understand the secretive lives of bees constructing queen cells and the specific factors influencing the development of a queen bee. “I would really like to know more about the specific chemical composition of this wax and which active ingredients are directly affecting the growth of the queens,” expressed Bowsher.

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