Stunning gold tunnel made by bees to protect hive entrance
This incredible glistening fortress was built by a colony of bees as an elaborate entrance to protect their nest. The family of meliponini stingless bees made the stunning gold tunnel after setting up home in Pai, northern Thailand. Footage shows several insects diligently working on the trumpet-shaped entrance, which is designed to protect against intruders. The fragile resin structure conceals the queen bee and the prized honey which is hidden deep inside the hive. Neighbour Thomas Baroni said the tunnel was a ''wonderful creation'' that had been constructed over several weeks under an outdoor sink. He added: ''This is the elaborate entrance of a beehive. They were pretty small bees and not aggressive at all. ''When flying back to the hive and my phone was blocking their way, they were simply hovering in front of the phone until I moved it away so they could see the entrance again allowing them to enter. ''The hive is hidden in the cavity under a sink in my friend's house and only the elaborate entrance is protruding.''