Question
========

How do honeybees create precisely regular hexagonal honeycombs, where
each cell is of the same dimensions as the others?


Introduction
============

This should be a quick and interesting search for natural history
buffs, taking no longer than 15 mins to answer.


Background
==========

Honeybees build precisely regular honeycombs, with each wall the same
height, width and at a 120 degree angle to the next.  Commercial
beekeepers may provide preformed beeswax walls on which the bees
construct the comb, but wild bees have no such guides.

The URL below is a fascinating description of _why_ bees build
honeycomb as they do, but very little information on _how_ creatures
as simple as that achieve such accuracy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3895593,00.html


Ideal Answer and Level of detail
================================

The ideal answer should be structured with a one-paragraph synopsis of
your findings, plus further detail and references.

Please provide facts with sources, not conjecture.

This is a general interest question only; a concise non-technical
answer will suffice.

Note: The question assumes that wild and domesticated honeybees do
actually create precicely regular structures.  If you find that they
don't, please say so.


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Greetings--

Bees are masters of navigation, communication and engineering, making
use of all sorts of natural phenomena or laws.  One of those laws is
the geometric truth that the largest number of sides that will fit
together with leaving gaps is six, making the hexagon a popular shape
throughout nature and specifically in the honeycomb. Bees achieve the
functional configuration of the comb by creating each cell as a simple
cylinder and allowing the force of pressure from close packing to
flatten the round shape to the more efficient hexagon.  It is
something similar to what happens to bubbles when they get together.
Isolated bubbles are spherical but have a flat side where they stick
together.

Reference: (1991). Shapes and structures and their influence on our
world.
Toronto: Grolier Ltd. ISBN 0-7172-2782-0

Sheldrick Ross, C. (1992). Circles: Shapes in math, science and
nature. Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd. ISBN 1-55074-064-4

Voderman, C. (1996). How math works: 100 ways parents and kids can
share the wonders of mathematics. London: Dorling Kindersley Ltd. ISBN
0-89577- 850-5

http://educ.queensu.ca/~fmc/september2002/Bees.html

http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/hangar/9434/stshexag.html


And a comment on bee intelligence, referring to apian navigation:
"It implies some puzzling computations are going on in their brains
that are still quite mysterious," he says. So in spite of their tiny
brains, bumblebees appear to be geniuses in navigation, geometry and
physics.
http://fac14.cmps.subr.edu/BeeLines.htm

Search strategy: geometry nature bees

If you have questions about this response or require additional
information, please post a Request for Clarification before rating
this answer.

Nellie Bly

Good answer nellie_bly_ga.  It answered the question completely, was
clearly presented and supported by references.  Thanks also for your
prompt response.

And thanks haversian_ga for your comment.

Well, I still don't know how bees make precise hexagonal cells, but I
know an awful lot about them (the cells, and the bees!)

Here are some links I've found interesting, though they don't answer
your question:

A little something called "Quantum Honeybees"
http://www.its.unimelb.edu.au/hma/pub/nisus/d383/0071.html

A honeybee FAQ:
http://www.bbka.org.uk/faq_honeybees.htm

A Science News article about bee comb:
http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc99/7_24_99/bob2.htm


It sounds like the answer to your question is "magic".  Just like
Middle Earth is actually in New Zealand, bees actually run on magic.