Bees are well-organized and excellent builders.

When they sense a gap in their hive, they will immediately start to plan and build a new honeycomb that can be used for drone brood or honey storage.

This instinctive behavior showcases their incredible efficiency and adaptability, ensuring the continued success and growth of the colony.

Sensing a Gap: The Trigger for Construction

Bees are highly sensitive to changes in their environment.

When they detect a gap or an empty space within the hive, they see an opportunity to expand their living quarters.

Upon sensing this space, bees will immediately start building a new honeycomb even if that honeycomb won’t be used to nurture brood (except drone brood).

The Role of Drone Brood Comb

Drones, or male bees, are essential for the reproduction and genetic diversity of the colony so bees need to dedicate space toward this “issue”.

The cells built for drones are slightly larger than those for worker bees, reflecting their different roles and requirements.

By building a dedicated drone brood comb, the colony ensures that it can produce a steady supply of drones, which will eventually leave the hive to mate with queens from other colonies.

The Building Process: Precision and Coordination

The process of building a new honeycomb is a marvel of natural engineering and I have detailed it in another post.

Usually when bees start to build a blind frame they allocate the minimum resources towards this project.

If the nectar flow outside the hive is poor then bees will start the project but it’s unlikely to be finished.

Beekeeping Insights: Encouraging Healthy Hive Growth

For beekeepers, understanding the bees’ building behavior is crucial for managing a healthy hive.

Providing enough space for bees to build new comb, is essential for the colony’s growth and development.

Beekeepers can also monitor the construction of drone comb as an indicator of the colony’s reproductive health or to assess if there is any nectar gathering going on.