From: "Dave Cushman" <dave.cushman@lineone.net>
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 12:05:43 -0000
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: bees deciding on new home

Hi all

when bees are about to swarm they send out many scouts (about 200 initially)
these return and those that have found suitable palces will do "recruitment"
dances in the same way that they would to get more foragers onto a
productive nectar source.

The vigour of these dances is proprtionate to the "exitement" of a
particular scout about the site she has visited.

Groups of scouts are again sent out to the most popular possibilities, again
these returning scouts dance and recruit others until a concensus is
reached.

These are communication skills that bees use in day to day foraging and do
not need any "special" ability to reason.

Best regards & 73s... Dave Cushman G8MZY