Honeybees solve puzzles to build efficient honeycomb structures, study reveals how

This hive frame displays a foundation with smaller-than-usual cell sizes. The bees adapted their building strategies to accommodate the change. (Image: Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado Boulder)

On a sweltering summer afternoon in Colorado, honeybees hum busily. Worker bees leave the hives searching for nectar, water, and pollen. Some bees return with loads, navigating the bustling hive corridors.

Orit Peleg, associate professor at CU Boulder, studies collective behaviour. She said, “Building a hive shows bees solving problems collectively every day.” Scientists still do not fully understand how individual bees decide.

How Honeybees Build Hexagonal Honeycomb Structures

In August 2025, researchers published their study in PLOS Biology detailing beehive construction. Peleg collaborated with Francisco López Jiménez, associate professor in aerospace engineering sciences at CU Boulder. Their research examined how bees adapt to difficult building surfaces and irregular foundations.

Honeybees construct nests wherever they find suitable space, from trees to attics. They build honeycombs from wax produced using stored honey for energy. Bees need to eat about eight ounces of honey for each ounce of wax. Collecting enough nectar for a pound of honey takes two million flower visits.

From left, Francisco López Jiménez, Orit Peleg, and graduate student Richard Terrile examine the honeycomb inside a beehive. (Image: Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado Boulder)

The hexagonal design of honeycomb is mathematically optimal, conserving wax and maximising storage. However, irregular surfaces require bees to adjust cell size, angle, or layer comb strategically. These deviations create more wax and decrease efficiency in storage or brood rearing.

Irregular Surfaces Pose Challenges to Bees

Lead author Golnar Gharooni Fard, a former CU graduate student, wanted to learn about decision-making in colonies. The researchers 3D printed panels with different hexagon sizes to try out bee tactics. Using X-ray microscopy, researchers analysed how bees built comb on each foundation type.

Bees merged cells, tilted them, or layered them to solve structural challenges. López Jiménez compared the process to 3D printing, where each bee adds wax gradually. He said, "The bees organise themselves, but we do not know exactly how."

The discovery may lead to designs for efficient and lightweight structures in engineering. Honeycomb form could be applied to aerospace fields, emulating the way nature solves material efficiency. The research sheds light on distributed decision-making and collective problem-solving among animals.

Peleg and her team also hope to better understand why bees employ certain strategies. They envision lessons learnt for robotics, construction, and bio-inspired design. Honeybees continue to teach humans the beauty of collective intelligence and ingenuity.