Honey Bee Democracy by Tom Seeley

Abstract

Professor Thomas Seeley, Neurobiology and Behavior, presented C.A.P.E.’s public lecture on November 17, 2011. He reviews the history of behavioral studies of foraging honey bees and then extends that understanding to the process by which swarming honey bees choose a new home. This Cornell-based research made exquisite usage of Appledore Island where he and his students tracked individual honey bees engaged in finding new home sites, how the scout bees communicated their findings to other scout bees and then how the bees reached a consensus decision of ‘the best’ site.