Bees Use Resin to Sterilize their Hives

Honeybees sterilise their hives with antimicrobial resin, scientists have discovered.

In doing so, they give the whole colony a form of "social immunity", which lessens the need for each individual bee to have a strong immune system.

Although honeybee resin is known to kill a range of pathogens, this is the first time that bees themselves have been shown to utilise its properties.

The team published details of their discovery in the journal Evolution.

link: BBC - Earth News - Honeybees sterilise their hives