When a forager honeybee finds a nectar source, she returns to the hive and performs a “waggle dance” to communicate the exact direction and distance of the source to her nestmates. Other worker bees watch the dance and use the information to fly out and locate the nectar. (The discovery of this “waggle dance language” was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1973.)
Because each hive may visit different nectar sources, the flavor of the honey varies from hive to hive. Even neighboring hives can produce honey that tastes completely different — isn’t that fascinating?