Toddler’s question uncovers bees that heat queen cells, revealing a new worker role
A study led by Kai Wang in Beijing, spurred by a toddler’s question, reveals a new worker-bee class—the 'royal engineers'—that heats its thorax to soften wax and sculpt queen cells. Queen-cell wax is structurally distinct (less dense, more pliable, higher melting point) and appears to create a microenvironment crucial for queen development, challenging the idea that royal jelly alone determines queen fate. Queen cells are thus engineered environments, not just passive containers, highlighting the bees’ sophisticated architectural behavior.