Re: Dance Language

The dance language of the honeybee is recognized by the majority of
researchers as the main system of the honeybee for communication of
the location of nectar sources as well as potential new nesting
sites. In addition, it has been observed in all species of honeybee,
not just apis mellifera. In species that nest in the dark (A.
mellifera, a. cerana) , there is a sound or vibration component,
while those nesting in the open (a. florea, a. dorsata) seem to lack
this component. This seems to point out an evolutionary lineage from
open nesting to overwintering colonies. As many have mentioned, there
is an odor component to the communication process, just as body
language plays a part in human vocal communication.

But very few people dismiss the central dance language. Whether or
not the language hypothesis has benefited the commercial beekeeper
has never been an issue. People like Tom Seeley and others are
studying the inner workings of the honeybee nest to further the
limits of our knowledge of the life of the bee, not to help people
make more money or to discredit the work of others.

Peter Borst
Apiary Technician
Dyce Honeybee Lab
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY  14853
Peter Borst

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http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/plb6/