This footage was filmed and produced 25 March 2024.

In a revelation shedding light on the intricate communication methods of honeybees, scientists have uncovered how these industrious insects decode the intricate dances performed by their hive mates to convey directions to food sources.

A breakthrough study led by a team from the University of Edinburgh has unveiled the remarkable role played by bees' antennae in deciphering these dances. By closely studying a colony of honeybees and employing computational models to mimic their brain processes, researchers delved into the complex mechanisms at play within the hive.

Utilizing slow-motion, high-resolution filming under infrared light, the team captured detailed footage of bees engaged in waggle dances, revealing a crucial detail previously obscured to the naked eye: the precise movements of their antennae.

Intriguingly, the researchers observed that bees adjust the position of their antennae in response to the angle of their body relative to the dancer bee, which repeatedly touches the antennae during its waggle. This astute maneuver enables bees to decode dances from various angles or positions, leveraging signals picked up by their antennae in tandem with their innate sense of gravity.

Remarkably, the study found that bees accomplish this feat with remarkable efficiency, requiring fewer than one hundred neurons to integrate information and discern the angle and distance to the indicated food source.

Beyond their implications for the study of insect behavior, these insights hold promise for addressing pressing ecological concerns such as habitat loss and pesticide use, which impact bees' ability to forage for food.