The 'wave' is used to repel wasps, and is referred to as 'shimmering' in a cluster of bees. "Bees in the outer layer thrust their abdomens 90° in an upward direction and shake them in a synchronous way. This may be accompanied by stroking of the wings. The signal is transmitted to nearby workers that also adopt the posture, thus creating a visible, and audible 'ripple' effect across the face of the comb."
I've never raised bees but an uncle did. I have helped him take the honey on a number of occasions and learned enough about it I didn't want to ever raise bees for fun or profit. I don't use much honey and my needs then and now can be fulfilled at the corner grocery. My only use of honey now is to sweeten my tea and use occasionally with my pancakes.
Wow...the bee civilization is a super-efficient organization of worker/engineers, drone/studs, and the protectors of their Queen. Their honeycombs are made of perfect hexagonal cells. That's all... Hal
@Shirley Martin We have some here that are very tiny, have to look close to see one, but they BITE like the dickens! Amazing how much it hurts, and leaves a tiny welt. My wife's mother, visiting us, retired to her bedroom, suddenly emerged screaming something was biting her in bed. She had taken a bag of potato chips in there, was reading and eating; we found her bed engulfed by hundreds of them! Normally, unless we spill something, they are not to be found indoors, thank goodness! Very well organized, they are. Now you know my secret: I dislike biting ants! Frank
Sounds a little like fire ants. Please don't tell me there is yet another kind that bite like they do.
All ants are poisonous. But because they are so tiny, they can't inject enough venom to do a lot of harm. If they were as big as wasps, they would be deadly. Evan a small one can give a painful bite. "Ants are small creatures that don’t look intimidating at all. They seem unable to do any real harm to creatures as big as humans. Unfortunately, these ants are capable of inflicting nasty bites which in some cases can be fatal. Although most ant bites only cause minor pain, there are certain ant species that deliver poisonous bites that can kill a full grown man." Read more https://healthybodylife.com/2525-top-5-dangerous-ants-deliver-fatal-bites/
@Nancy Hart The tiny ants we have here may be these: "The name, electric ant (or little fire ant) derives from the ant's painful sting relative to its size." See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_ant It says they are only 1.5 mm long, that's about right, 1/16-inch. They seem to be quite a threat, as the article implies.
@Shirley Martin I read years ago of native tribes, South America I think it was, tied and staked captives over the giant ant hills, some 4 ft. across, whereupon the ants did their work, beginning with the juiciest parts first: eyes, inner mouth, throat, sinuses..... What a way to die! Frank