Human Hannelie, Nicolson Sue W, Dietemann Vincent
Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
Naturwissenschaften. 2006 Aug;93(8):397-401. doi: 10.1007/s00114-006-0117-y. Epub 2006 May 3.
Honeybees are highly efficient at regulating the biophysical parameters of their hive according to colony needs. Thermoregulation has been the most extensively studied aspect of nest homeostasis. In contrast, little is known about how humidity is regulated in beehives, if at all. Although high humidity is necessary for brood development, regulation of this parameter by honeybee workers has not yet been demonstrated. In the past, humidity was measured too crudely for a regulation mechanism to be identified. We reassess this issue, using miniaturised data loggers that allow humidity measurements in natural situations and at several places in the nest. We present evidence that workers influence humidity in the hive. However, there are constraints on potential regulation mechanisms because humidity optima may vary in different locations of the nest. Humidity could also depend on variable external factors, such as water availability, which further impair the regulation. Moreover, there are trade-offs with the regulation of temperature and respiratory gas exchanges that can disrupt the establishment of optimal humidity levels. As a result, we argue that workers can only adjust humidity within sub-optimal limits.
蜜蜂能够根据蜂群的需求高效调节蜂巢的生物物理参数。温度调节是蜂巢稳态中研究最为广泛的方面。相比之下，对于蜂巢内湿度如何调节（如果确实存在调节的话），我们却知之甚少。尽管高湿度对于幼虫发育是必要的，但尚未证明蜜蜂工蜂对这一参数进行调节。过去，湿度测量过于粗略，无法确定调节机制。我们使用小型数据记录器重新评估这个问题，这些记录器能够在自然环境以及蜂巢内多个位置测量湿度。我们提供了证据表明工蜂会影响蜂巢内的湿度。然而，潜在的调节机制存在限制，因为湿度最佳值在蜂巢的不同位置可能会有所不同。湿度还可能取决于可变的外部因素，比如水源可获取性，这进一步妨碍了调节。此外，在温度调节和呼吸气体交换之间存在权衡，这可能会干扰最佳湿度水平的建立。因此，我们认为工蜂只能在次优范围内调节湿度。
