Out of the Box
Honeybees Living in Trees
Colonies of Apis mellifera who live in the wild are often the issue of swarms escaping from colonies kept by humans. When they have the possibility, swarms which escape from manmade hives like to live in the bosom of their old wooden friends.
Whether it is living or dead, a tree shelters a vast community that is constituted of numerous inhabitants. Ants, mushrooms, birds, and squirrels live in symbiosis with their host. The tree is a super-organism with a powerful and generous field.
Tree cavities offer round, organic forms. The bees can build their combs in a manner which optimises the circulation of air and humidity, which, in turn, avoids or substantially reduces the development of moulds. The gnarled walls are coated with propolis. They drink the condensed water which trickles down them. The thickness of the walls provides a high degree of thermal insulation.
