Fascinating up-close video footage showing how honey bees go about killing a queen bee has been scaring up a storm on social media.
Earlier this month, Florida beekeeper Elisha Bixler shared a dramatic video of “queen balling” to her TikTok account @howsyourdayhoney3. The video has already been watched over 15 million times.
“Queen balling” refers to the terrifying process by which bees kill off their queen. They do this by forming a tight ball around the queen and vibrating their wings to turn up their body temperature, suffocating her in the process. At the same time, the bees continue to bite and sting at the queen. It’s a fate every bit as terrifying as it sounds, with Bixler capturing an example of “queen balling” at close quarters in the palm of her hand. more…