How To Organise And Make The Move Into A New Territory: A Beehive Masterclass

Go to the ant, O lazy one; Observe her ways and be wise – Proverbs 6:6

Just before the move

The worker bees also have some foresight, they know that it won’t be a walk in the park. So, before leaving the old hive, worker bees begin to prepare for the swarm. They gorge on honey and nectar to sustain themselves during the transition period.

Once the old queen bee moves with its swim of a contingent of worker bees, they don’t fly directly to the new territory as they really are not sure of where they are going. What got them moving was not the news of greener grass on the other side, what got them moving was the saturation of their current environment. They move out in faith, knowing that they will find another place to situate a new hive.

The queen bee and worker bees together form what is known as a swarm. The swarm clusters together in a mass often found hanging from a branch or other objects. The bees in the swarm communicate through buzzing and pheromones, establishing cohesion and unity within the group. At this stage, they form a team.

Transition Period

The swarm (queen bee and workers) enters a temporary resting stage while scout bees are dispatched to search for suitable new hive locations. During this time, the swarm remains protected and awaits further instructions. Scout bees leave the swarm and explore the surrounding area in search of potential new hive sites. They assess factors such as shelter, size, security, and proximity to food sources.

The scout bees return to the swarm and communicate their findings through a dance known as the waggle dance. They convey the location and desirability of each potential site, enabling the swarm to collectively make a decision. The swarm watches the waggle dance where the full report of the place scouted is shared, and together they all reach a consensus.

The Move

Once a consensus is reached, the swarm takes flight and migrates toward the chosen location. The queen bee leads the way, followed by the worker bees, forming a cohesive mass in the air as they navigate toward the new site.

I would like to highlight something interesting before pointing out the key lessons that make this move work: bees’ importance. The way the world works, bees sustain plants and plants sustain humans. If the bees are gone, men will be gone in a matter of time. So as we learn from the bees, let’s understand that whatever to do to survive is helping us too.

Here are a few lesson highlights

– Prepare ahead, proper preparation prevents poor performance

– Form a team, teamwork makes the dream work

– Invest in the unity of the team, the away days and retreats are good for unity

– Scout, investigate before you invest

– Involve others in leadership: A true leader is a leader of leaders, not followers.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

Adeolu Akinyemi.