#rock bee

[drhoz]

Sir David Attenborough visits Malaysia to take a closer look at the life of the world's largest honey bees. When one sting can lead to a thousand very quickly in a very defensive colony of killer bees, Sir David is quite keen to make a good impression!. Amazing video from BBC animal and wildlife show 'Life in the Undergrowth'.

[drhoz]

#2909 - Apis dorsata - Giant Honey Bee

AKA Rock Bee.

A large, highly aggresive honeybee species found in South and SE Asia, usually nesting in exposed positions such as the underside of tree branchs, high on cliffs, and around buildings. Hundreds of individual nests may be built on a single tree or cliff face, but the individual hives are genetically unrelated despite their very close proximity.

Despite their very-much-not-placid nature, targeted for their honey and wax production. In the paperbark swamp forests of Vietnam and some other parts of SE Asia, honey hunters developed a method called rafter beekeeping, to encourage the bees to set up their nests in areas more accessible than high on cliffs or in the canopies of rainforest trees.

Perhaps best known for the synchronised rippling wave dance they do with their wings, when a predatory wasp flies too close to the hive for comfort. Since they will mob and heat-ball any wasp that actually tries to seize a bee, this may be a warning to the wasp that they have their eyes on her.

Goa, India.