OREANDA-NEWS  Roboticists and biologists from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne in Switzerland and the University of Graz in Austria have developed robotic honeycombs that prevent bees from dying from a "cold coma". This is reported in an article published in the journal Science Robotics.

In 2006, scientists recorded a phenomenon called colony collapse, when colonies of bees died for unknown reasons. Evidence suggests that insect death may be associated with a number of factors, including environmental toxins and natural pathogens, including parasitic mites — carriers of infections. These factors can lead to a weakening of the colony, which makes it more difficult for it to survive a cold winter. In addition, there were cases of "cold coma" when bees stopped buzzing, generating heat in the hive.

Previously, in order to avoid this, heaters were placed under the hives, but the heat in this case was not regulated. To solve this problem, scientists have built a robot into the body of the hive, which directly transfers heat to the honeycomb, adjusting its amount. Testing showed that the robot contributed to the survival of the hive, which was inhabited by four thousand bees, during a sharp cold snap, while insects in other hives died.