'Streaker' Honeybees Direct Bee Swarms
By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

March 2, 2006 — Enormous bee swarms containing as many as 15,000 bees are
guided by "streaker" scout bees that fly super fast and lead the swarm to
its destination, according to a new study published in the latest journal
Animal Behavior.

The study negates a prior theory that scout bees released smelly chemicals
that informed the other bees where to go. The discovery of streaking scout
bees indicates the other bees simply look up to the speedy flyers that zip
along with a "Follow me!" visual cue.

"A bee's eye is rather large and is not placed at the front of the bee's
'face' like ours, but is sort of positioned on top of the bee's head,"
explained Madeleine Beekman, lead author of the study. "This means that the
bee has a clear view of what is happening above her."

Beekman, a bee expert and researcher in the School of Biological Sciences at
the University of Sydney, added, "Hence, when scouts fly fast above a bee
that doesn't know where to go, this fast-flying bee will be visible as a
streak and this streak points into the direction of travel." 

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060227/bee_ani.html

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---