...So they take turns at being snug in the middle and being part of the insulating curtain on 
the outside.
Chris

I'm always seeking trivia for my 'Obscure Bee Trivia' file.
I wonder if there is any other animal or insect which
forms a cluster to keep warm in the winter,  I can
only think of one, -the penguin.  

In the video, scientists have shown that a single
penguin can trigger this circulation movement.
I wonder if the honeybee cluster movement is
triggered by the movement or signal from a single
bee, it would be highly unlikely that it is a spontaneous
movement, -it must originate with a single bee. 

Emperor Penguins Rotate Through Giant Huddle for Warmth
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/06/penguins-shuffle-warm/

The origin of traveling waves in an emperor penguin huddle
http://iopscience.iop.org/1367-2630/15/12/125022/article

Joe

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