Moving gently, each worker bee presses toward the warm center of the mass. The whole mass gently pulses as the bees breathe and generate their own warmth. It is after dawn; sunlight will soon warm this place. The bees can continue on their quest. (Better: the hive can continue on its quest. The hive as a whole could be considered one organism. One reproductive organ. The worker bees are appendages, agents of the queen to keep her fed and safe, ready to reproduce other hives.) Black Oak Trail, Portola Valley. 3/31/2021, 7:52:01 am.