Research advances in colony chemical communication mediated by honey bee olfaction

The olfactory system and chemical communication mechanisms of bees operate synergistically through a three-tiered pathway (peripheral perception-neural integration-colony regulation), forming the core regulatory network for colony social homeostasis and environmental adaptation. This network is pivotal in enabling bee colonies to respond to environmental stressors, ensuring their survival and reproduction. This review integrates the regulatory network and ecological functions of honey bee olfaction and chemical communication. By analyzing hierarchical chemical communication networks—such as queen pheromone-mediated reproductive regulation and worker bee alarm signal propagation—the study reveals how olfactory-driven chemical communication collectively governs foraging behavior, floral resource localization, nest construction, and defensive responses. Furthermore, it elucidates the underlying molecular mechanisms and ecological adaptability of this communication system. This synthesis establishes a novel research paradigm for understanding collective defense regulation in social insects and underscores the application value of the bee olfactory-chemical communication system in ecological monitoring. It also provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing pollinator protection strategies, refining ecotoxicological assessments of pesticides, and advancing biomimetic olfactory technologies.