by Philip Monte Verde
Bees communicate by dancing in the air. Why don't we do that!?
When a scout returns to the hive with hot pro-tips about new-found food sources, it has to communicate to its hive buds where the good stuff is. Ground bees (or "ants" as they are known, colloquially) can lazily lay out scent trails and expect the mindless peons to follow along in unconscious slavery to the queen. Bees can't do that because of, well, gravity.
So our fuzzy Captain Cooks have to try something different, a little jitterbug known as the "waggle dance." It goes up to the hive entrance, gets all the roustabouts' attention and begins flying in a figure eight motion. Or at least that's the best way to imagine it. Basically the bee shoots out in a particular direction, makes a right turn to come back and a left turn to head out again. The rub is, that particular direction is where the food is.
Bees communicate by dancing in the air. Why don't we do that!?
When a scout returns to the hive with hot pro-tips about new-found food sources, it has to communicate to its hive buds where the good stuff is. Ground bees (or "ants" as they are known, colloquially) can lazily lay out scent trails and expect the mindless peons to follow along in unconscious slavery to the queen. Bees can't do that because of, well, gravity.
So our fuzzy Captain Cooks have to try something different, a little jitterbug known as the "waggle dance." It goes up to the hive entrance, gets all the roustabouts' attention and begins flying in a figure eight motion. Or at least that's the best way to imagine it. Basically the bee shoots out in a particular direction, makes a right turn to come back and a left turn to head out again. The rub is, that particular direction is where the food is.
simon_g Shutterstock
This waggle gives direction, but it also indicates distance. The further the bee zooms out in the straight line of the 8, the further the resource (water, flowers, etc) lies. And because bees are super well-adapted, they can adjust to being ignored. If their bros are all "whatever man/woman" for a while, the bee will modify its dance direction to account for the changing position of the sun.
Angles and whatnot.
Bonus factoid: when a bee needs help with a task it does the tremble dance to get attention. So, functionally equivalent to jumping up and down waving your arms.
Angles and whatnot.
Bonus factoid: when a bee needs help with a task it does the tremble dance to get attention. So, functionally equivalent to jumping up and down waving your arms.
