Scientists have been blown away by the results of a new 3D technology which reveals that honeybee colonies are full of bees. ‘When we saw the pictures we simply couldn’t believe it,’ said entomologist Chester Benson, ‘the whole thing is quite literally teeming with bees. There are loads of them.’
The new technique, known as Diagnostic Radioentomology, scans the beehive, taking a series of 3D images, and has already revealed what the team at Bath University are describing as ‘lots and lots of bees.’
‘We never imagined there would be so many,’ said one researcher, ‘maybe a small family of two or three bees living together in a little house. But there are hundreds of them in there. Nobody expected that.’
‘Crucially, this approach is non-invasive,’ said Professor Benson, ‘before the advent of this technology we had to whack the hive with a stick before running away and counting the bees that chased us. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to be using this new system.’
It is hoped that the new computerised 3D tomography may help to explain why bee populations are on the decline. ‘The whole thing remains a mystery,’ said Professor Benson, ‘what we can say for certain is that there are plenty of bees in the hives. I can only assume that what we are looking at is a generation of lazy, stay-at-home bees.'