HONEYBEES headbutt their hive mates to warn them of danger at a food source.
Bees perform this strange ritual when they encounter aggressive rival bees, for example, or predatory spiders hanging out at favoured foraging spots. When they return to the hive, they headbutt hive mates performing the famous “waggle dance” that directs would-be foragers to rich sources of nectar. By halting their hive mates mid-dance, the scouting bees save them from perilous excursions.
of the University of California at San Diego and colleagues interrupted honeybees at a feeding station – for instance, by pinching their legs to simulate spider bites or smearing the feeding stations with bee alarm pheromones.
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When the bees returned to their hive, they disrupted waggle dancers that were directing others to the station (Current Biology, ). Along with the headbutt, the signaller makes a brief “piping” sound, says Nieh. “This makes the waggle dancer freeze, which we think is a reflex action.”
This is first time the meaning of the headbutt has been clear. “Now we know it conveys the message: ‘Don’t recruit for that spot, it’s dangerous’,” says Nieh.
