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CURIO #473
Japanese honeybees cook their predators
The Japanese giant hornet is the size of a human thumb, and packs a sting so powerful it kills dozens of humans every year. Recently it has also ravaged populations of European honeybees, brought to Japan because they produce more honey than Japanese bees. A single Japanese giant hornet can kill forty European bees in a minute, and a swarm of thirty has been documented killing 10,000 bees per hour! Yet the hornet does not harm the local bees. This is because the Japanese bees, which evolved along side the giant hornets, developed an amazing defense. When a hornet approaches, they retreat to their hive, leaving an opening to entice the hornet. When the hornet enters the nest, hundreds of bees swarm the hornet and enclose it in a ball. The bees vibrate their bodies, heating up the ball like a convection oven to exactly 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the bees can withstand temperatures up to 118° F, but the hornets die at temperatures over 115° F, the honeybees have "learned" through the generations to warm their swarm to the perfect hornet-cooking temperature. Now giant hornets leave the Japanese bees alone! Click below for an amazing video of this in action. Is that Martin Sheen's voice?
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