Clan Apis 
Chapter four: Homefront
The Story     


After a harrowing experience in the wild, Nyuki vows never to leave the hive again.  But is the hive the sanctuary she thinks it is?  Probably not.  Watch as Nyuki’s fear of the outside struggles against her desire to leave the hive and fly.  Marvel at how she gets on her sisters’ nerves!  Thrill to Zambur’s shocking tale of honey bee love!  Shudder at the lengths Dvorah and her fellow guard bees will go to defend the hive.  And what will it take to get Nyuki out of the hive?  All will be answered in Homefront, the penultimate chapter of the Clan Apis limited series.
The Science: the following topics are covered within the context of the story.    

  • How bees use scent to identify members of their hive.
  • Honey robbing by bees from other hives.
  • Alarm pheromone.
  • The methods bees use to defend their hive.
  • The basics of honeycomb construction.
  • Why honeycomb cells are hexagons.
  • Construction of the honeycomb out of wax secreted from the honey bee wax glands.
  • Bees can sting other insects without dying.
  • The role of drones in a hive
  • How drones are fed and cared for.
  • Drone mating flights and the grim reality of a successful mating.
  • Undertaker bees
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