As we constantly strive to give the best service we can to all of our guests, you’d be surprised where you can find inspiration. Bees are wonderfully organized and seem to always have an answer for everything, just what we want to provide each guest. I’m an Animal Planet fan an I’m going to summarize some of these bees truths for you.
Plan
Bees leave nothing to chance. When forager bees have found a lucrative patch of pollen and nectar, they don’t rest on their laurels. They continue to scout for others.
Not only that, they carefully plan for succession. Heirs-apparent to the queen are fed a special diet – copious amounts of royal jelly.
When a new queen emerges there’s – guess what – a period of transition. Not until she’s proven herself by laying her first eggs does she take over the reins.
Communicate
Bees are “wired for sound” – and sounding out. They give and receive clear messages. Foragers perform dances to guide other workers to rich sources of nectar. They leave trace hydrocarbons on petals to indicate flowers have already been “tapped.” They “perform a tremble dance and emit a piping sound” when they’ve more nectar than they can handle and need more receiver bees.
Invest in your team(s)
Bees are ruthless in the collective interest. Drones that’ve past their sell-by dates and can no longer mate with queen are tossed out of the hive.
But they look after each other, too. They cleanse each other of dust and ectoparasites, carriers of infection, etc. Older bees emit a chemical that prevents teen bees from venturing out too soon, and they “school” the young in the art of foraging.
The hive invests in its “bee capital.” Career progression – from basic tasks such as hive cleaning, through nursing, comb-building and guarding to foraging – ensures things run smoothly. So, too, does talent spotting. Workers forage according to their individual sensitivities: some collect water, some pollen, some nectar and some propolis, a resin that seals cracks in the hive.
What’s more, bees know that excessive hours are bad for business. They seek out patches that are lucrative but close to home. The hive won’t thrive if workers are exhausted.
Move from “me” to “we”
O’Malley advises, “Promote community, sanction self-interest.” Bees are so committed to the collective interest, so “socially programmed” that they forgo self-gratification. Cargoes of nectar are not “tested” en route to the hive: they’re unloaded intact, for the enjoyment of all.
Things that upset the balance of the hive are dealt with by “bee police,” who destroy surfeits of the eggs that develop into males. The last thing you want is hive full of idle, libidinous drones.
So, there you have it. Ego and individualism bad. Team energy and team commitment good. It’s the wisdom of bees.
