How do bees get back to the hive when it starts pouring rain if they can’t fly in the rain, especially when it keeps raining for days and days?
In: Biology
The truth is that not all bees get back to the hive and when conditions are extremely unfavorable they may even die while not able to return. However, bees are exceedingly good at reading and even predicting the weather. They are so sensitive to weather conditions (air pressure, humidity, etc) that humans can predict very short term weather by observing their behavior.
For example, you’re out tending your apiary when a sudden squall hits and you’re wondering if you should pack it up for the day and head home. All you have to do is look at the hive entrance and watch the activity. If the bees are going out as much as they are coming in then the weather wont last that long. If you see no activity or only traffic heading into the hive that storm will most likely last a while.
As for bees that get caught in the rain, they’ll find shelter that they can hang out in until the weather subsides and will die if they cannot fly back to the hive in time.
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