We Have Decoded Language Of Honeybees, And Know Exactly What They Talk About

Many superheroes over the years have possessed the ability to talk to animals. That's been a dream of scientists for centuries.

And now, a group may have just made the first step towards understanding beast speech when they communicate with each other.

Images courtesy: Reuters

Though we've been able to teach some primates sign language to communicate with humans, it's not the same as understanding their own complex language. Which is why this latest research is so huge. A team of researchers at Virginia Tech have managed to decode the language of honeybees. And not just that, they've developed the equivalent of a universal translator that works will all honeybee species across the globe.

To understand what they did, it's important to know how bees communicate. The buzzing isn't their means of communication, it's just the sound their quickly beating wings make. They in fact communicate through dance. Bees have specific dance patterns for various things. One might tell the rest of the hive about a food source for instance, by modifying the basic pattern's speed and shape.

We've known for years how some of these most basic patterns work, but that knowledge has been limited. For one thing, different species of bees have different patterns. For another, we didn't know any of the nuances that convey different information.

To decipher the language, the researchers carried out complex analysis, plotting the flight paths of the bees during these dances in painstaking detail. They even trained bees to find food at a particular feeder, and then subsequently keep moving the feeder further away. That then allowed them to see what changes the bees made in their dances to communicate the change in distance.

They then compared their data to all previously published data on honeybee dances, and were able to create a sort of universal codex, or translation book..

"While there were differences among [bee] populations in how they communicate, it doesn't matter from the bees' perspective," said Roger Sch¨¹rch, one of the lead researchers. "We cannot tell them apart in terms of how they translate this information. There is huge overlap. In effect, a bee from England would understand a bee from Virginia and would find a food source in the same way with a similar success rate."

Scientists believe this study could be huge, given that bees are some of the most important pollinators in the world. By using this codex, they could understand bee speech which would tell them where they forage for food. That way, governments can take into consideration how constructions could affect bee colonies for instance.

"The bees can tell us in high spatial and temporal resolution where forage is available and at what times of the year," said Margaret Couvillon, another lead researcher. "So, if you want to build a mall for example, we would know if prime pollinator habitat would be destroyed. And, where bees forage, other species forage as well. Conservation efforts can follow."

And who knows how this sort of knowledge could affect other future studies. Maybe one day this data could even help us understand the speech patterns of other animals like dogs and cats. Then you actually understand what your pet is saying when they seem to be talking to you.