Anti-Adhesive Surfaces Inspired by Bee Mandible Surfaces.

Propolis, a naturally sticky substance used by bees to secure their hives and protect the colony from pathogens, presents a fascinating challenge. Despite its adhesive nature, honeybees adeptly handle propolis with their mandibles. Previous research has shown a combination of an anti-adhesive fluid layer and scale-like microstructures on the inner surface of bee mandibles.

Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis.

In a biomimetic top-down process, challenging the problem of resin deposition on woodworking machine tools, an adequate biological model was sought, which hypothetically could have developed evolutionary anti-adhesive strategies. The honeybee () was identified as an analogue model since it collects and processes propolis, which largely consists of collected tree resin. Propolis is a sticky substance used by bees to seal their hive and protect the colony against pathogens.