This companion to the 3D scene strips the hive down to a side-view cross-section so the numbers behind each tradition are visible, not just the shape. Every hive style carries a published-order-of-magnitude internal volume and comb-face area; switching styles changes those numbers along with the silhouette. A separate model drives the bees themselves: below about 14°C (57°F) honeybees stop foraging and pull into a insulating winter cluster to hold a roughly 35°C core, and the cluster's radius, heat loss and metabolic heat budget are computed live from your population and temperature sliders.
A honeybee cluster actively regulates its own shape — the outer "mantle" bees pack tightly and shiver to insulate, while inner bees stay looser and warmer, and the whole cluster can slowly shift position to reach stored honey without ever breaking formation.
A 2D cross-section lab comparing five real hive traditions — Kenyan top-bar, European skep, log hive, modern Langstroth and Himalayan cliff honey hunting — by comb capacity and honey fill, with a live honeybee winter-cluster thermal model.
Each hive's internal volume and comb area drive an honest honey-capacity estimate, while a separate thermal model shows the colony pulling into a compact winter cluster below 14°C to protect its 35°C core, with a live heat-generated vs heat-lost readout.
Pick a hive tradition, adjust honey fill, colony population and ambient temperature, and toggle cutaway to see the comb and bees inside — watch the bees switch from foraging orbits to a tight cluster as temperature drops.
A winter cluster's outer bees pack so tightly they act as living insulation, while the whole cluster can slowly shift position over weeks to reach fresh honey stores without ever breaking formation.