Meanings
nounthermoballing (uncountable)
- uncountableagricultureAn incident where honeybees surround a threat and cause it to die through high temperature.
Certain subspecies, such as Japanese honey bees, guard against hornets by "thermoballing."
2007 September 17, “Honey Bee Defense Leaves Hornets Breathless”, in Science, archived from the original on 04 Jun 20241 more example
Some honeybees have adapted to defend themselves from Asian giant hornets via thermoballing, which is when they surround the hornet and vibrate their muscles.
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 Jun 2025
Origin
Cite this entry
APA
thermoballing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thermoballing
MLA
“thermoballing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thermoballing. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thermoballing,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thermoballing.
Source: thermoballing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.