Bees Have a Hot Line of Defense

Proverbs 18:14
“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”

When bees are threatened by some diseases or predators, they act like sick children – they get a fever. More specifically, they give their nest a fever, sometimes raising its temperature to levels nearly fatal to themselves.

Bees are cold-blooded, but they can generate heat by flexing their flight muscles while holding their wings still. It has long been known that bees can generate temperatures as high as 96.8° (F) to keep the nursery nice and cozy. Researchers have found that this ability is used to cure a sick hive. One of the more dangerous threats to the bees’ nest is the chalkboard fungus. Researchers noticed that bees raised the temperature of the nursery when threatened with the fungus. They then tested the effect of the temperature increase by introducing chalkboard fungus spores into three experimental hives. Even before the larvae showed symptoms of infection, bees raised the temperature in all three hives. While several larvae mummified in one hive, no larvae in the other two hives showed infection. Other researchers have also found that bees use the same strategy on giant hornets. The bees cannot sting through the hornet’s tough armor. So, when invaded, bees raise the hive’s temperature to over 116°(F). That’s enough to kill the hornet, but one degree hotter would be fatal to the bees.

God has given His creatures important abilities to gain and keep physical health. But when it comes to spiritual health, we must rely completely on what God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has done to give us that spiritual health.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for giving me spiritual health through forgiveness. Amen.

Notes: Science News, 5/27/00. p. 341, “The whole beehive gets a fever.” “The whole beehive gets a fever.” Photo: Pixabay