It happens all the time
Yes, it does frequently happen that you or I are asked to give a short overview of some aspect of honey bee biology or behavior. Maybe I’m sitting by a stranger on a plane flight. Maybe someone at church remarks that you’re the bee guy and then a question ensues about the need for pollination activities. At those quick times, brevity is best while many important points simply must be omitted. There’s just not enough time (or interest) to get into a thorough discussion. Anyway, most likely the questioner was only trying to be polite. Don’t go crazy with your review.
I’ve decided to write a series of “mini-lectures” on selected common areas of honey bee behavior. In addition to generalized information, to each category I have also included a caveat or a “bonus” for those deserving individuals who need just a bit more of your truncated discussion. There could have been many more specific topic areas, but like your discussion time, my article space here is limited. I present the topics in no order of priority.
1. Communication dances — one of the messaging techniques of bees
Honey bees possess a unique method of communication that involves intricate body movements known as dancing. In the classic waggle dance, a forager bee returning to the hive from a successful trip performs this behavior to share information about the location (distance and direction) of food sources. The angle of the bee’s body during the dance indicates the direction relative to the sun, while the duration of the waggle run conveys distance. For example, a longer waggle, with more dancing cycles, signifies a more distant food source. This behavior not only demonstrates remarkable precision but also the bees’ ability to process complex spatial information.
Moreover, the waggle dance, presented in a figure-8 outline, incorporates the use of vibration, taste, and odor. The forager carries the scent of the flowers it visited and may give a taste of the nectar, helping its hive mates locate specific sources. Bees can also adjust their dance to account for changes in the sun’s position throughout the day — a reference to their cognitive abilities.
Bonus information
Dance information is also used to communicate a new nesting site when swarming is in progress. Scout bees can be seen dancing on the outer surface of the swarm cluster. Different dances like the round dance or the transitional dance are used when foraging sites are nearer to the colony.
2. Division of labor — efficiency at work
A honey bee colony operates with an elegant division of labor. The colony is divided into three castes: the queen, drones, and workers. Each caste has specialized roles:
Queen: The queen is the only fully fertile female in the colony. Her primary responsibility is egg production, laying up to 2,000 eggs daily during the spring, summer, and early fall. She also produces pheromones that maintain colony cohesion, suppress worker reproduction, and make her presence and health known to her worker cadre.
Drones: Male bees, or drones, are responsible for mating with a queen from another colony. Their lives are short and culminate in this reproductive act, after which they die …
