BLACKSBURG, Va. – Did you know that honey bees aren’t just buzzing around randomly? They’re actually dancing to communicate.
A new study from Virginia Tech shows these “waggle dances” are more than just a bee’s way of showing off. They’re actually crucial for finding food.
Researchers found that bees with unique dance styles actually improve their chances of successfully finding food. It turns out, bees that “overshoot” their targets give their fellow foragers a better shot at locating food.
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“So, we’re just sort of understanding a little bit the basic science of it. And it could be that this is as good as they need to do it to accomplish what they’re trying to accomplish,” said Maggie Couvillon, an entomologist at Virginia Tech. “Or maybe there is an actual benefit to miscommunication that we haven’t yet discovered.”
When bees overshot their target, they could usually backtrack and find it.
The experiment will allow scientists to better understand the behavior of bees and its importance to their survival
