How do honey bees communicate the location of food sources?

Honey bees communicate the location of food sources primarily through a sophisticated method known as the dance language. When a forager bee discovers a rich source of nectar or pollen, it returns to the hive and performs a specific series of movements known as the waggle dance. This dance conveys critical information such as the distance to the food source and the direction relative to the sun. The duration and angle of the dance inform other bees how far they need to travel and in what direction to find the food.

While pheromones play a significant role in bee communication for other purposes, such as marking territory or signaling alarm, they are not specifically used to indicate food location. Vocalizations are minimal in honey bees, as they rely much more on physical movements and chemical signals. Similarly, while body movements are involved in the dance language, the specific predictability and structure of the waggle dance is what makes it a distinct form of communication for conveying the location of food sources. Thus, the method of communication that best describes how honey bees indicate where to find food is the dance language.