What is the grooming dance primarily used for by bees?

The grooming dance is primarily used by bees to recruit assistance for grooming. This behavior allows worker bees to signal to others that they need help with cleaning themselves, a process that is vital for maintaining their hygiene and health. This dance consists of specific movements that convey the need for assistance, and other bees that observe the dance will often respond by coming over and helping with grooming tasks.

While bees have various forms of communication, each serving distinct purposes, the grooming dance specifically focuses on enlisting help for personal hygiene, rather than tasks related to foraging, hive relocation, or defense against threats. Each of those other scenarios is addressed through different behaviors and dances, which highlights the specialized nature of the grooming dance in promoting individual bee health within the colony.