How do bees communicate?

When a honeybee finds a good source of nectar or pollen, it returns to the hive and performs a special movement known as the waggle dance. The direction of the dance relative to vertical indicates the direction of the food relative to the Sun, and the length of the waggle tells the other bees how far away it is. Bees also communicate using chemical signals called pheromones, which can signal alarm, mark the queen presence, or guide the colony. Touch and sound play a role too, as bees feel the vibrations of the dance in the dark hive. This remarkable system lets a colony share information efficiently.