Lessons in Democracy from Bees and Locusts

2. Democratic honeybees Honeybees use a method very similar to ants' optimised foraging when it comes to finding their new nesting spot. Several scout bees fly out and look for options at random, like ants. But instead of leaving trails of pheromones, they come back to the nest and directly communicate their preferences. They do a waggle dance for their nest mates, rhythmically shaking their…