What We Can Learn from Honeybee Democracy:
Although the hive has a queen, do not be fooled they are a democracy. Did you know that bees vote?! When a hive swarms, the remaining bees stay behind in the original hive box preparing for the coming of their new queen. The portion of the hive that leaves takes the old queen and usually lands on a nearby branch. They buzz very loudly to make sure everyone lands in one place.
Once everyone is one spot, the scout bees act like realtors leaving the swarm to find a new permanent home. The scout bees return to the swarm to report and recruit other scout bees to check out the locations they selected as options for a new home site. If the swarm agrees that a new home cannot be found they will swarm .5 mile to a new spot and the process repeats itself. At the new swarm location, the scout bees will narrow down the potential homes.
They will not only recruit scout bees but other bees to check out the location options. The bees vote and they move on to their forever home!
You might ask, “What if they don’t agree on a new location? What happens next?” If an agreement cannot be made the hive will start to build comb and make the branch their new home. When this happens, it is usually not a good thing for the hive’s future.
Staying on the branch leaves the hive vulnerable to predators and the elements. Two things usually happen; both predators and weather will slowly pick away at the hive until there is nothing left of the hive. The other thing that happens is the weight of the combs or wind/rain will cause the hive’s comb to fall from the branch to their demise.
The hive that voted to move into a tree hollow or an abandoned bbq pit has a much better chance of the survival of the present hive and future generations.
You may ask, “What does honeybee democracy have to do us?” Register to vote and bee sure to vote.
Although there is rarely a perfect fit, vote for the candidate that better fits your beliefs and goals. Not to vote is a decision in itself, that like the hive can leave us vulnerable and can effect future generations.