When considering what shapes animal development, factors such as genetics come to mind. For a queen bee, however, her special wax home also has a role.

When considering what shapes animal development, factors such as genetics come to mind. For a queen bee, however, her special wax home also has a role.

Worker bee construction behaviour actively engineers a physicochemical niche that is crucial for queen development in honey bees.

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have identified a group of worker honeybees that are specially adapted to build their queen's waxy abode within the hive.

The honeybees responsible for crafting the queen's home effectively run a fever to help blend special wax.

For generations, scientists believed a queen honeybee was made almost entirely by diet: feed an ordinary larva enough royal jelly and a ruler emerges. But new research suggests…