The hive is hungry.
Some 30,000 honey bees need pollen. Now.
A single jar of the honey you can buy in any store requires a million flower visits.
Scouts disperse several miles in each direction, searching for untapped fields.
This scout makes a promising find.
Pollen sacs bulge from her legs.
But she can't harvest all of it herself. She needs help. Lots of it.
She spreads the news of her find-by dancing.
This "waggle dance" is based on a figure 8.
The scout moves at an angle, waggles, reverses direction, and waggles some more.
Her "Flower Point" presentation has to communicate three things.
First, she moves at an angle. The angle indicates the direction of the flowers in relation to the sun.
The hive's honeycombs are built vertically, so straight up means toward the sun.
Down means away from the sun, and so on.
Second, distance. She waggles her abdomen rapidly. The more she waggles, the further the distance.
Third, flower type. The pollen she collected provides a scent cue for the others to smell for.
Her presentation is a success.
Several sisters return with her to forage in the field.
They in turn will bring back more pollen and spread the word. Until the hive is finally full.
