Beeta Hive
Beeta Hives are stationary critters that rest on a solid tile, essentially acting like buildings, and spawn 1 Beetiny per cycle to grow into Beetas. They can be found in the Uranium Biome.
Ecology
Beetas gather Uranium Ore for the hive to convert to Enriched Uranium . This conversion process is 90% efficient and is a worthwhile endeavor to look into, especially when compared to the Uranium Centrifuge's 20% efficiency. (Any material dug up by duplicants loses half the mass, which would make this 10% for the materials harvested in that situation, but not with space points of interest.)
To create a new Beeta Hive, a Beetiny can be placed away from a hive and allowed to reach age 2, at which point it will turn into a Beeta Hive slowly starting at nightfall over the course of 3 cycles. Beeta Hives will thus sustainably "replant" as long as there are valid spaces for a Beetiny to transform, even if there is nothing for them to eat. This creates an infinite source of radiation and Nuclear Waste.
A beeta hive will at most consume 10 kg Uranium Ore per cycle and produce 9 kg Enriched Uranium. The actual amount converted is dependent on beeta deliveries.
Radiation
While processing uranium ore, a hive emits pulses of radiation exceeding 1800 rads/cycle that emanate from the opening and disperses 6 tiles away. Combined with the over 1440 rads/cycle of each Beeta, and 470 rads/cycle of each Beetiny, this makes them a potential hazard, so Lead Suits are recommended if duplicants are going to be spending significant time near them.
Trivia
In real life, reactor grade enriched uranium typically comprises 3-5% U-235 while natural uranium is only about 0.7% U-235. This is consistent with the ratio provided by the uranium centrifuge. While the U-238 in depleted uranium cannot sustain nuclear reactions, that does not mean it does not contain energy. In fact, there are so called breeder reactors that can convert depleted uranium into fissile material which can sustain nuclear reactions. The ability of the beeta hive to convert most of the material into "enriched uranium" (in this case, it should be referred to as fissile material) is similar to that of these breeder reactors.
History
- U39-490154: Fixed issue preventing Beeta Hives from being prioritizable.
- MD-470651: Beeta Hives can no longer starve to death.