Thanks for the link Jim. The experiment with bubbles between two sheets of glass is certainly interesting. But I’m still not at the stage where I could explain this theory to a five year old. I need something more than mathematical proof  to understand how bees build their comb. 

I expect airplane flight involves a lot of  complicated mathematics yet I can explain how a wing creates lift. Currently my explanation of how bees build their cells by squashing circles into hexagons would involve a lot of “somehow” and “maybe“. 

“Somehow they heat the comb or parts of the comb to an unknown temperature.” 

“Somehow they support and squash the comb, maybe one cell at a time or maybe  a group of cells or maybe just one side of each cell at a time…. etc etc.”

When I see bees building comb from scratch they are hanging in a sheet with a leg stuck out above, below and to the side, so as to hold onto a neighbouring bee. I had always assumed this was their way of creating a scaffold while they built the comb. Maybe instead they are supporting the comb, or turning themselves into two sheets of glass and squeezing the comb. Until someone, somehow, can describe what is taking place with certainty, we just have theories don't we?    

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html