The Shimmering - Asia's Giant Honeybees

The migratory apis dorsata endemic to Asia is a honey producing social bee that prefers to live outdoors rather than in a tree cavity or beehive. Because of these preferred vulnerable locations, these giant honeybees have adapted a "shimmer" technique in order to deter potential predators including human honey hunters. One interesting feature of the shimmer technique, is that the entire dorsata hive locks onto and tracks the velocity of predators (including wasps and birds) much like a radar would. Honey hunters who practice harvesting dorsata comb are taught to take the honey from the outside of the comb, which leaves the brood chamber intact.