The Perils and Secret Language of Bees

Biting into a vine-ripe tomato is a familiar summer delight brought to you courtesy of bees who are crucial pollinators in natural and agricultural ecosystems. However, underlying the idyllic image of these nectar gatherers is a sometimes fiercely competitive world of sudden death and gang violence among scented blossoms. James Nieh explores this other side of bee life and the ingenious adaptations, including language, that bees have evolved in response to the perils of pollination. Series: Nature Matters [2/2009] [Science] [Show ID: 15364]