Dance for bees is a communication method. In this way, they communicate specific information to each other. There are several types of bee dance. Each has its own characteristics and meaning. Bees perceive space in a special way, which is reflected in the signaling system.
The meaning of dance for bees
The dance serves as a kind of compass for insects. In the spring-summer period, scouts look for a source of nectar and pollen, and finding it, they return to the hive and transmit information to the gatherers. By dancing, the signaling individual shows the direction relative to the sun:
- wagging upward movements mean that you need to fly to the sun;
- when driving in a straight line - fly from the sun;
- when deviating to the right or left side, you need to make the appropriate correction in flight.
Thanks to this system, bees collect nectar and pollen from a particular honey plant. The reference point is its flavor. This allows you to get a certain type of honey, corresponding to the plant - acacia, lime, heather and others. Read here what varieties and types of honey are.
The mechanism of such communication is partly related to vibrations. The insect's body vibrates due to the contraction of powerful wing muscles, but unlike flight, the wings are folded during the dance.
The vibration of the signaling bee spreads over the entire surface of the honeycomb, so other individuals also perceive it. The signal is perceived only by insects within the same hive.
Many scientists had doubts about the possibility of communication between insects having a tiny brain. This communication mechanism was confirmed thanks to a small robot that reproduced in detail all the nuances of the dance. At his signal, the bees had to fly to specially organized feeders - the experiment was a complete success.
Circular dance
In this type of dance, the bee makes circular movements. In this way, it signals to its relatives that a rich source of nectar and pollen is located near the hive - within a radius of about 45 m.
In a circular dance, the signaling bee does not indicate the direction in which to move to the area it found. Attracted by the scout, the gatherers surround her and follow her. The direction tells them the aroma of flowers, remaining on the abdomen of an insect that found a honey plant. Its perception is provided by bee tendrils.
The scouts' circular dance lasts only a few seconds, but they are enough to attract other worker bees and transmit the necessary information to them. The bee begins to dance after it gives away the collected nectar - it also releases it during the dance. Having finished dancing, the insect immediately goes to the entrance, and from there - to the flowers it found. When the bee brings food again, it will dance again. This confirms that she has found a rich nutritional source.
During the circular dance, the nearby individuals repeat the movements of the scout, trying to touch her belly with their antennae. After that, these honey bees begin to prepare for the flight - they clean themselves and go to the entrance.
Circular and wagging dance of bees
Wagging dance
The movements during such a dance resemble a figure eight and are semicircular. The bee runs straight and wags its belly. By the number of his strokes, the proximity of the found honey plant is determined. The more the insect wags its belly, the closer the food source. 8 wags per second means that the honey plant is 6 km from the hive. If the bee makes 20 movements per second, then it is about a kilometer to the food source.
The bees resort to the wagging dance when honey plants are at a distant distance. It is determined by the number of not only waved abdomen, but also committed circles. If the honey plant is about 100 m from the hive, then the bee will make about 10 circles in 15 seconds. If during the same time she completes 7 circles, then the distance is twice as long, 4 circles - 1 km, 2 circles - 6 km.
Scout bees can distort data on the distance to the honey plant. It depends on the weather conditions. With a headwind, the movement of the bee slows down, and with a tailwind, it accelerates, so some errors may be present.
With a wagging dance, the bee can not only tell about the range of the honey plant it found, but also indicate the direction in which to fly. If the insect dances on the notch (horizontally), then the connection line of the figure eight is the direction to the honey plant. A certain distance is made between the semicircles of the eight - it corresponds to the angle of deviation of the flight relative to the sun.
Dance in the hive
Circular and wagging dances are effective and informative when the weather is clear and the sky is clear. In the dark, bees do not see, but they perceive certain information through the sense of smell and touch.
The scout can indicate the direction in which the honey plant is located as follows:
- straight downward movement along the honeycomb is a food source in the side opposite to the sun;
- upward movement - the honey plant is in the direction of the sun.
1 - dance outside the hive; 2 - circular dance in the hive; 3 - wagging dance, downward movement; 4 - wagging dance, upward movement; 5 - vertical version of the dance 1
With a dance, bees can only show the distance at which the honey plant is located, and the direction to it. Insects cannot indicate the height of food. This was confirmed by experiments with highly suspended feeders.
Bee space perception
Bees have facet eyes represented by ommatidia (structural elements). This feature provides mosaic vision - the insect does not see the whole picture, but each object separately.
Bees have light-refracting eyes, so clear weather is necessary for normal orientation. Due to polaroids, the insect can navigate even in the absence of the sun, but at least a small clearance is needed, otherwise the bee may deviate from the correct direction.
Bees dance is a way of communication. By making certain movements, insects can tell their hive at what distance and in which direction the honey plant is. The reference point for the bee is the sun, therefore, it actively moves only in clear weather.