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Subject:
From:
Ruth Rosin <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 12 Sep 2003 10:46:50 -0700
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Hi,

In a message dated Sept. 12 Chris states he has seen dances without dance-attendants, and so haveothers. I received many such statements from readers of the Irishbeekeeping website, including persistent such claims from Norman Carreck who is a honeybee researcher. Norman reported that this is very common during periods of rich natural forage, and all he had to do to see it was go to an observation hive during his lunch break, although he later added that a dance-attendant is present when the dance starts.

There are several problems with such claims:

1. The claims stand in blatant contrast to everything published in the scientific literature, often by scientists who spent many years studying honeybee dances. For instance, v. Frisch unequivocally stated (among others, in his well known 1967 book) that foragers never dance without dance-attendants. He was so  adamant on this point as to provide a hypothetical explanation as to why this is so. I do not accept his explanation, but I cannot question his statement that foragers never dance without dance-attendants.

2. Claims to the contrary are anecdotal only. Norman explained that he could easily send me a video of such an event (which I would need to very carefully analyze in slow motion) but won't do so, because, as he insisted, it was my responsibility to obtain an observation hive and check for myself. He also would not attempt to publish his claim that foragers can dance without dance-attendants (which I consider sensatinal, as it has never been published before),  because he sees nothing unusual in that claim.

3. All the scientifically  published information about honeybee dances, and especially the detailed information in v. Frisch's 1967 book, leads me to conclude that under certain circumstances it is only too easy to overlook the presence of dance-attendants. (The dancer is sometimes followed by only a single dance-atendant. A dance-attendant sometimes attends only very briefly, and then leaves, and another dance-attendant may join. The dance usually takes place in a throng of other bees.)

In view of all that, there is no need to seriously consider, or even bother with mere anecdotal statements on this issue.




Sincerely,

Ruth Rosin ("prickly pear")

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