Which sense do honey bees primarily use via their antennae?

Honey bees primarily use their antennae for the sense of smell. Their antennae are equipped with numerous sensory cells that detect pheromones and other chemical cues in their environment. This olfactory capability is crucial for many aspects of honey bee behavior, including locating food sources, identifying their colony members, and communicating with each other.

The sense of smell is vital for foraging behavior, as bees use olfactory information to find flowers that provide nectar and pollen. Additionally, it plays an important role in the recognition of the queen and the social structure of the hive. Through chemical signals, bees can communicate vital information regarding threats or the health of the colony.

While honey bees also have the ability to taste through their antennae and other mouthparts, and they possess vision adapted to detect concepts like UV light, their primary function when it comes to the antennae involves olfactory sensing. This makes them highly efficient as pollinators and social insects.