Why is every cell in a honeycomb a hexagon?   Why do bees build perfect hexagon cells when they could build honeycombs from rectangles, squares or triangles?  Scientists have tackled this question for hundreds of years, and every study began with the premise that bees want a tight, secure storage structure for honey that is as simple to build as possible.    

Generating the wax for the cells and then making the cells costs the bees in food for energy and time.  For bees to assemble a honeycomb, it’s simpler for each cell to be exactly the same.  If the sides are all equal – perfectly hexagonal- every cell fts tight with every other cell then a honey comb is basically an easy jigsaw puzzle.  All the parts fit.  Honey Bees – Nature’s Mathematicians

Taken from Hive Tracks, June, 2022