A particle model analysing the behavioural rules underlying the collective flight of a bee swarm towards the new nest

The swarming of a bee colony is guided by a small group of scout individuals, which are informed of the target destination (the new nest). However, little is known on the underlying mechanisms, i.e. on how the information is passed within the population. In this respect, we here present a discrete mathematical model to investigate these aspects. In particular, each bee, represented by a material point, is assigned its status within the colony and set to move according to individual strategies and social interactions. More specifically, we propose alternative assumptions on the flight synchronization mechanism of uninformed individuals and on the characteristic dynamics of the scout insects. Numerical realizations then point out the combinations of behavioural hypotheses resulting in collective productive movement. An analysis of the role of the scout bee percentage and of the phenomenology of the swarm in domains with structural elements is finally performed.

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