Fan bees: what they do and why they are of vital importance for the entire hive

What is the role of fan bees? Let's find out the 'job' of this important insect and how it behaves towards the hive.

Although many are unaware of their existence, fan bees are vital to the entire hive. They stand out from the others because they have a very powerful wing flap, capable of lowering the temperature. Let's find out, specifically, what they do and how they behave towards other insects.

Fan bees: who are they and what do they do?

Fan bees have a very important task, which is to regulate the temperature in the hive. Thanks to the powerful flapping of their wings, these insects ventilate on the honeycombs for two specific reasons: to refresh the brood and promote the maturation of the honey . Not only inside, often attached to the walls, they also ventilate the outside of the hive in order to create a current of air capable of making the hive less hot.

They are so intelligent that they understand for themselves when to take action, that is, when the sun's rays are likely to melt the wax that the honeycombs are made of. Fan bees also get to work when they realize that there is too much moisture inside the hive. In cases like these, their task is to favor the drying of the nectar as much as possible, in order to accelerate its transformation into honey.

Tasks of bees: what do they do?

Worldwide, except Antarctica where they could never live, there are about 20,000 species of bees. These insects, which someone violently chases away, are indispensable for the life of the planet because, through the collection of nectar, they take care of the pollination of flowers and plants. It is no coincidence that, regardless of their task, bees are considered the beating heart of the earth. Without them, many plant species would disappear, creating significant problems for the food chain.