英和和英

名詞

thermoballing (uncountable)

1. (beekeeping) An incident where honeybees surround a threat and cause it to die through high temperature.
   • 2007 September 17, “Honey Bee Defense Leaves Hornets Breathless”, in Science‎, archived from the original on 4 June 2024:

     Certain subspecies, such as Japanese honey bees, guard against hornets by "thermoballing."

   • 2024 June 4 (last accessed), Helen Roy, “Asian hornet guide: how to identify, the difference from a native European hornet, and how to report a sighting”, in BBC Wildlife Magazine‎, archived from the original on 14 June 2025:

     Some honeybees have adapted to defend themselves from Asian giant hornets via thermoballing, which is when they surround the hornet and vibrate their muscles.