> The environmental factor may be inside or outside the hive, or even inside or outside the individual bee.

I am a big fan of EF Phillips, but I think this definition reduces the concept to nothing. Of course, in a sense, every thing IS environmental, since we are all part of our environment from the air we breathe to the microbes that live within. But there is also a more restricted definition, which is what is generally meant by one's environment.

The narrow, distinct sense:
1 the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

The all encompassing sense:
2 the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, esp. as affected by human activity.

If something is everything, then we don't need a separate word for it. Words, in order to be of any use, need to mean definite things.  Once the elements of one's environment have been internalized, they are no longer environmental factors, but internal ones. I believe this is a distinction worth making, others may not.

PLB

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