Honeybees 'entomb' hives to protect against pesticides, say scientists

By sealing up cells full of contaminated pollen, bees appear to be attempting to protect the rest of the hiveHoneybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an extraordinary example of the natural world adapting swiftly to our depredations, according to a prominent bee expert.Scientists have found numerous examples of a new phenomenon - bees "entombing" or sealing up hive cells full of pollen to put them out of use, and protect the rest of the hive from their contents. The pollen stored in the sealed-up cells has been found to contain dramatically higher levels of pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals than the pollen stored in neighbouring cells, which is used to feed growing young bees. Continue reading...