Bees shake their bums or “waggle dance” to communicate the location and distance of food sources. By varying the duration, speed, and angle of the dance they convey important information about the direction and quality of the food source to their fellow bees.
When a worker discovers a good source of nectar or pollen (note the pollen spores dusting this bee's back), she will return to the hive to perform a waggle dance to let her nest mates know where it lies. A bee performs the waggle dance when she wants to inform other bees of a nectar source she has found.
Why do bees put their bums in the air? Honey bee workers will raise their abdomens in the air to expose a gland called their Nasonov gland. An scent attractive to other bees is released by this gland. The bees will fan their wings while raising their bottoms, to disperse and spread the Nasonov scent.
It's a skill that many amateur dancers would love to master, and now a new study has shown that even bees can twerk. Researchers from the University of California San Diego have tracked the so-called 'waggle dance' of bees to see how they learn the skill.
And they are really good at twerking. I know that sounds crazy. But bees in general can detach their flight muscles from their wings and then just vibrate their flight muscles. So it's basically, you know, just doing this really intense vibrating wiggle that generates warmth.
In order to communicate what they've found and where it is, they dance: 'round dances' and 'waggle dances'. The 'round dance' signals to their nest-mates that there is a lucrative pollen area nearby. The 'waggle dance' tells them exactly where it is; how far to go and in what direction the nest mates need to fly.
Bees follow you because Sweat is sweet to bees.
These bees are usually metallic in color and rather small and harder to notice than their yellow and black counterparts. These bees can sting but aren't known for being aggressive towards humans. They just want to take a lick of that sweet, sweet sweat.
Sugars: Many bees feed on the nectar from flowers. Since nectar is sweet, it makes sense that bees would be attracted to sugars and fragrances that smell flowery or sweet. That's why you may notice bees at your picnic, especially if you're drinking sugary sodas or eating fruits, such as pineapple and watermelon.
If a bee lands on you, don't make any sudden movements
When a bee or wasp lands on you, it's better if you sit still and just try brushing them off gently. Although no matter how lightly you brush them off, there is always a risk of getting stung by aggravating them.
According to BumbleBee.org, a bee will stick up a middle leg if it's annoyed by your presence, which means “back off!”.
Bees drift from one hive to another, particularly when hives are set out in straight lines, when they are all painted the same colour, or when the entrances of hives are placed close together. The drifting of bees between hives is often mentioned as a major factor in the spread of AFB.
Honey bees communicate with people through their buzzing, which depends on their mood.
Since honeybees can't talk, they perform special dances as a means of communication. They use dances to relay different messages, from the need to swarm, to the direction of and distance to a source of food. Field bees use the "waggle dance" in particular.
When humans or other animals are scared, we release the fear pheromone. Consequently, bees can smell these chemicals our bodies release. Individual bees that detect the fear pheromone communicate quickly to nearby bees about the threat. Bees defend their hive to protect their space.
So while bees cannot necessarily “smell” fear, they do have a way of detecting it and communicating that fear with the hive! One way bees do this is by emitting a specific pheromone to the rest of the hive, which is a chemical that alerts the rest of the colony that there is a threat.
Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature.
Make sudden movements
Bees usually sting people for one of two reasons, and both of those reasons have to do with feeling threatened. They sting people who either wander too close to their nests… or startle them with sudden movements. If you see bees around you, try not to move too quickly.
So, RUN! And when you run Keep Running ! Africanized honey bees have been known to follow people for more than a quarter mile. Any covering for your body, and especially for your head and face will help you escape.
Do not jump into a body of water. That not only increases the chances that you will get stung when coming up for air, but also your risk of drowning, experts say. Angry bees may wait for you to come out and can track you via bubbles of carbon dioxide you might release when underwater, Nieh said.
Studies have shown that bees can detect the air-particle movements associated with airborne sounds and can detect sound frequencies up to about 500 Hz. This means that bees are attracted to music with a 250-500 Hz frequency as it is reminiscent of the sounds they produce in the hive.
Honey bees (Apis sp.) are the only known bee genus that uses nest-based communication to provide nest-mates with information about the location of resources, the so-called “dance language.” Successful foragers perform waggle dances for high quality food sources and, when swarming, suitable nest-sites.
Bees, in contrast to people, do not hear with their ears, but they notice the sound with their whole body, especially with their antennas and sensitive body hair.