Honey bees first originated in tropical Eurasia some eight to eleven million years ago. There are now at least ten distinct species and numerous sub-species, predominantly in Asia, such as the Asian giant or rock honey bee (Apis dorsata), the Asian dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) and the South-Asian cavity nesting bee (Apis cerena indica). The honey bee most familiar to people living in Europe and North America is a cavity nesting bee called the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), which reached Europe approximately 10,000 years ago and is the species most commonly kept in commercial hives.

Due to its economic value, not only in the production of honey but also in the pollination of flowering crop plants, most scientific research has focussed on the western honey bee. This research has discovered some amazing capabilities in this little animal, including the ability to utilise a range of senses and methods to navigate within its environment. These include the use of landmarks, sun position, polarisation of the sky and the Earth's magnetic field.

Experimentation indicates that the use of landmarks is their primary method of navigation. When adult honey bees first emerge from the pupa they initially remain in the hive, performing all the necessary duties there, such as building the comb structure, nursing larvae and tending to the Queen. Only when they are older do they start to venture out. Their initial flights are orientation flights, they do not forage during these, but memorise the landmarks in an expanding zone around their hive. Once sufficiently experienced they join the hive's squadrons of foragers, receiving directions to quality food sources from more experienced foragers that fulfill the role of scouts.

Scouts will usually find the resources the hive needs within a two mile radius of the hive, but have been known to travel as much as five miles if necessary. They search for nectar to make honey, pollen to be used as an immediate food supply, propolis (tree resin) to be used as a sealant to close openings against draughts or invaders, and water. Upon returning to the hive, they perform a "waggle dance" that tells their hivemates the direction and distance of the resource.

This symbolic dance language is a combination of position, duration and acoustics. The bee lands on a vertical side of the hive and angles its body in relation to the position of the sun and the location of the resource to give direction. The duration of the dance indicates

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