Watch a honey bee hive closely, and you'll see bees constantly touching mouths, passing droplets of liquid between them. This behavior—called trophallaxis—is far more than simple feeding. It's the colony's communication network.
What is Trophallaxis?
Trophallaxis (from Greek "trophe" = nourishment + "allaxis" = exchange) is the direct transfer of food or fluids between colony members through mouth-to-mouth contact. It's found in many social insects, but honey bees have perfected it.
More Than Feeding
While trophallaxis does distribute food, its real power lies in information transfer:
Chemical Communication
- Queen pheromones: The queen's chemical signals spread through the colony via trophallaxis
- Colony recognition: Shared food creates a common "colony odor"
- Health status: Chemicals in shared food indicate colony health
- Nutritional needs: Bees can sense what nutrients the colony needs
Food Source Information
When a forager returns with nectar, she shares it through trophallaxis. The receiving bee tastes not just food, but information:
- Type of flower (flavor profile)
- Quality of nectar (sugar concentration)
- Distance to source (affects nectar concentration)
- Whether to prioritize this source
🐝 The Network Effect
Food passes through an average of 6 bees before being stored in a cell. This means information spreads rapidly through the entire colony—like a biological internet.
How Trophallaxis Works
- Request: A bee approaches another and extends her tongue (proboscis)
- Antenna contact: Bees touch antennae to identify each other
- Offering: The donor regurgitates a droplet of food
- Transfer: The receiver takes the droplet with her tongue
- Assessment: Both bees assess the exchange through taste
Types of Trophallaxis
Mutual Trophallaxis
Equal exchange between two bees, primarily for social bonding and information sharing.
Unilateral Trophallaxis
One-way transfer, such as from forager to house bee, or nurse bee to larvae.
Queen Feeding
Worker bees feed the queen through trophallaxis, while simultaneously receiving her pheromones that control colony behavior.
The Colony Superorganism
Trophallaxis is why scientists describe bee colonies as "superorganisms." Just as blood carries nutrients and hormones through your body, trophallaxis carries food and chemical signals through the colony body.
Speed of Information
Studies show that a food sample introduced to one bee can be detected in bees throughout the colony within just 24 hours. Chemical signals from the queen spread even faster.
Trophallaxis in Beekeeping
Understanding trophallaxis helps beekeepers:
- Medication: Treatments in syrup spread through colony via trophallaxis
- Queen introduction: Colony acceptance depends on pheromone spread
- Combining colonies: Shared food creates unified colony scent
- Disease spread: Unfortunately, pathogens also spread this way
Beyond Honey Bees
Trophallaxis occurs in many social insects:
- Ants (extensive use)
- Termites
- Wasps
- Some bee species
Each species has evolved unique variations suited to their social structure.
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