See the Unique Spiral Hives of the Australian Stingless Bee
February 2, 2018 - These spiral hives are the work of a type of Australian stingless bees. Tetragonula carbonaria is the only species to build upward, in a spiral pattern. Called "sugarbag bees," the insects are highly social, with one queen overseeing thousands of workers. A batch of 80 cells is built and provisioned at the same time, and after construction the queen bee will lay eggs in them. It's not clear why these stingless bees employ this unique pattern, but it may make it easier for the queen to navigate the hive.
