Short Wave Why are bees special? We get inside a hive to find out
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Apr 7, 2026 
Sammy Ramsey, an entomologist and honeybee researcher behind Secrets of the Bees, dives into what makes bees so fascinating. He talks about bees learning from each other, solving puzzles, and even playing. There is also a look at how they fight off giant predators and the destructive varroa mite threatening colonies worldwide.
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Bees Bake A Murder Hornet To Save The Hive
- Asian honeybees can stop a northern giant hornet attack only by killing the scout before it returns with reinforcements.
- The colony swarms the hornet, vibrates decoupled wing muscles, and heat-bakes it in a convection ball.
Bees Can Teach Each Other And Build Culture
- Bees do multi-step problem solving and can pass learned tricks to other bees, which Sammy Ramsey calls a form of culture.
- In the lab, bees that solved a puzzle immediately taught another bee, spreading knowledge across a short-lived colony.
Play Reveals A Wider Kind Of Bee Intelligence
- Bees sometimes choose play over sugar, suggesting insect intelligence extends beyond rigid survival behaviors.
- In a lab arena, some rolled painted wooden balls, passed them between bees, or rode them instead of taking food.