Chapter 1
The discovery of the code
Chapter 2
The mechanics of the waggle
Chapter 3
The sensory hive experience
Chapter 4
Beyond food and democratic decisions
Ch 2 · The mechanics of the waggle
BETA
misslily Decode the waggle dance to discover how honeybees share directions to sweet nectar.
misslily Honeybee Waggle Dance
Trace the sun's direction on the vertical comb and we'll fly straight to the sweet clover
misslily Bees can calculate the sun's movement over time, adjusting their dances even inside a dark hive.
Quiz
Which part of the honeybee's body physically shakes to indicate distance during the dance?
Fun Fact
Solar navigation: Even on cloudy days, honeybees can find the sun because their eyes can detect polarized light through the clouds.
Quiz
What kind of light can honeybees see that allows them to locate the sun on cloudy days?
Quiz
One second of a honeybee's waggle run translates to roughly how many meters of flight?
Glossary
azimuth (noun)
The horizontal angle or direction of a celestial object measured from a reference point. In the 1940s, Karl von Frisch discovered bees translate the sun's azimuth into physical dance angles.
The horizontal angle or direction of a celestial object measured from a reference point. In the 1940s, Karl von Frisch discovered bees translate the sun's azimuth into physical dance angles.