10d • Bees 101
How Does a Colony Know When More Workers Are Needed?
A worker returns to the hive carrying nectar. Another worker receives it, and the forager prepares to leave again. But what happens when returning foragers cannot find enough workers available to receive their nectar?
We have explored how the waggle dance communicates the location of productive food sources. Now let's look at another form of communication that helps coordinate work inside the colony. It is called the tremble dance.
During this dance, a worker moves slowly across the comb, frequently changing direction while rapidly shaking her body (almost like come on guys follow me). Unlike the waggle dance, she does not follow a repeated figure-eight pattern or communicate the location of a food source. Researchers have found that returning foragers are more likely to perform this dance when they experience long delays finding workers to receive their nectar.
The tremble dance can help recruit additional workers to receive nectar. Consider what happens during a strong nectar flow. More foragers return carrying nectar. If the existing receiving workers cannot keep up, unloading delays increase. These delays can stimulate tremble dancing, helping the colony adjust the number of workers receiving nectar. As additional workers become available, unloading delays may decrease.
This is an example of feedback within a living biological system. One activity changes conditions inside the colony, and those changing conditions influence what other workers do. The tremble dance can also occur under other foraging conditions, so unloading delays are not its only known trigger. What interests me is how the colony adjusts its workforce without one bee directing the others. Individual workers respond to changing conditions, communicate with nestmates, and collectively influence how the colony functions.
Can you think of another situation inside a colony where changing conditions might cause workers to adjust their activities?
0
0 comments
How Does a Colony Know When More Workers Are Needed?
powered by
skool.com/bee-network-5743
Understand bees as living systems through observation, biology, evidence, and thoughtful stewardship of colonies, landscapes, and community.
Suggested communities
Powered by