Orkin Exterminator & Termite Control

Honey Bee Dance

There are two major theories on how honey bee foragers communicate with other workers about a new food source: the honey bee dance and the odor plume. Although there is evidence to support each claim, the honey bee dance is more widely accepted. The dance language combines dancing and odor as a bee's means of communication, while the odor plume theory claims that honey bee recruitment relies solely on odor. The honey bee dance plays an important role in the survival of the species: it has been a part of colonies for years and has remained one of the most important methods used in foraging for food.

The honey bee dance is a way for bees to communicate with one another. A honey bee that discovers a new food source will tell other honey bees about its location through the honey bee dance. When a worker bee returns from an abundant food source, she will dance inside their nest in a circle.

The dancing worker bee will move in reference to the sun's position. If a worker honey bee dances upwards from six to 12 o'clock, the location of the new food source will be found directly towards and under the sun. If the worker flies from seven to one o'clock, she is communicating to other honey bees to fly to the right of the sun.

In order for new recruits to determine the distance between the hive and the discovered food source, the dancer wiggles her abdomen while crossing the circle. The more movement a dancer bee makes with her abdomen, the greater the distance from the nest to the new food source.

This language is also understandable by humans, and researchers determine effectiveness by measuring the amount and quality of new pollen and nectar brought into the nest. However, certain features of this dance language, including the fact that honey bees understand dance patterns even in the dark, are still not understood.

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