Beekeeper Attempts to Teach Bees to Pollinate Faster

Bees Get Their Buzz On: Beekeeper Attempts TikTok Dance Training to Speed Up Pollination

It’s going viral—among humans, not bees.

Cody, WY— The art of beekeeping has long been associated with a delicate balance between nature and nurture, the soft hum of bees working tirelessly to ensure plants are pollinated, flowers bloom, and honey flows in sweet, golden abundance. But what if that harmonious process could be, well, jazzed up a bit? What if bees could be motivated to work just a little bit faster? And what if that motivation came from… viral TikTok dance moves?

This was the bold vision of Wyoming beekeeper and part-time TikTok influencer Ted “Buzz” Daniels, who one day while scrolling through the app, had an epiphany: “If 14-year-olds can gain millions of followers by dancing in front of their bathroom mirrors, why can’t bees use the same strategy to up their pollination game?”

So, Buzz put down his honeycomb, picked up his phone, and set about teaching his bees the ways of the #beeChallenge. His goal? To turn his buzzing workforce into a squad of highly efficient, flower-pollinating influencers. What followed was a social media sensation—among humans, that is. The bees, on the other hand, were decidedly unimpressed.

Pollination by Dance: The Grand Experiment

The idea didn’t just appear out of thin air. Buzz had always been a forward-thinking beekeeper. While most of his peers were content with traditional methods, Buzz saw potential in integrating modern trends with age-old practices. His farm, nestled in the rolling plains outside Cody, Wyoming, had long been a place of innovation. His bees already lived in hives outfitted with high-tech temperature controls and AI-generated playlists of classical music to keep them calm. But none of that prepared him for his most ambitious project yet: teaching bees to pollinate to a beat.

“I’ve been on TikTok for a few years,” Buzz explained, mid-floss (the dance, not the dental care). “I figured if millions of kids can learn these dances and make careers out of it, then why not my bees? They already do the waggle dance to communicate with each other—it’s basically choreography!”

Thus began the great bee-TikTok mashup of 2024.

Waggle, Renegade, Repeat: The Training Begins

The first challenge Buzz faced was getting the bees to transition from their natural waggle dance—a figure-eight movement that communicates the direction of nearby flowers—to something a bit more… contemporary. He started small, trying to teach them the Renegade, a viral dance that took TikTok by storm in 2020. Armed with a tiny boombox blasting popular TikTok sounds and a ring light for optimal lighting, Buzz positioned himself in front of the hives, moving his arms in sync with the beat, hoping the bees would catch on.

“They’re already dancing,” Buzz rationalized. “All I’m asking them to do is update their routine.”

The bees, however, were not particularly cooperative. Rather than being swept up in the rhythm, they continued their usual buzzing and flying about, diligently collecting nectar. “It’s like trying to teach a goldfish to juggle,” Buzz admitted. “They just weren’t interested.”

Observational Evidence: “Bees may waggle, but they’re not ready to tango”

Despite Buzz’s enthusiasm, it became clear that the bees were more interested in flowers than in mastering TikTok choreography. While their traditional waggle dance was slow and methodical, the Renegade proved far too complex for them. They waggled in the direction of pollen as usual, but when Buzz threw in a few extra moves—a shimmy here, a clap there—the bees simply ignored him.

“It was like I was dancing in a void,” Buzz said, wiping sweat from his brow. “I’ve never felt so rejected. Not even on my high school prom night.”

But Buzz wasn’t ready to give up. He decided to try a different approach: combining the bees’ love for nectar with their newfound TikTok fame. Perhaps if he could entice them with a reward—say, a prime flower spot—they might pick up the pace.

The Pollination Hustle: Honey Over Fame

Buzz’s next strategy was to use incentives. “If influencers can get free merch and sponsorships, then bees should at least get some extra pollen, right?” Buzz reasoned. He even crafted tiny flower-shaped hats for the bees to wear while they danced, hoping the added flair might encourage them to perform.

But the bees, it seemed, were too old-fashioned for such modern inducements. They simply weren’t swayed by the allure of likes, follows, or flower hats. In fact, they barely seemed to notice Buzz at all, continuing their meticulous work as if the bizarre human in front of them wasn’t desperately trying to get them to floss (again, the dance, not dental care).

Dr. Ellen Hivewell, a renowned entomologist who specializes in bee behavior, was not surprised by the bees’ disinterest. “Bees have evolved over millions of years to be incredibly efficient at what they do,” she explained. “Their focus is entirely on the task at hand—collecting nectar and ensuring the survival of the hive. Dancing for clout? That’s a human thing. Bees don’t care about going viral.”

Buzz, however, was undeterred. “If they don’t care about going viral, I’ll go viral for them!” he declared, posting footage of his efforts to TikTok under the hashtag #beeChallenge.

The Viral Bee-less Sensation

While the bees might have been too focused on flowers to notice, the rest of the world certainly did. Within days, Buzz’s videos began to take off, amassing thousands of views. People from all over the world tuned in to watch the intrepid beekeeper as he danced, pleaded, and cajoled his bees into participating.

“I don’t know what’s funnier,” commented one viewer, “the fact that this guy thinks bees care about TikTok, or the fact that he’s STILL trying.”

The hashtag #beeChallenge started trending, with influencers across the globe joining in. From Australia to Argentina, TikTok users were posting their own interpretations of the “bee dance,” though most admitted they were more inspired by Buzz’s stubborn dedication than by the bees themselves.

Despite the human interest, the bees remained unmoved—literally and figuratively.

Observational Evidence: “Trying to teach bees TikTok dances? You might as well try to teach cows to moonwalk”

As Buzz’s videos continued to go viral, one question remained: Why weren’t the bees interested in the dances? “It’s not that they don’t appreciate art,” Dr. Hivewell theorized. “It’s that bees are entirely focused on efficiency. They perform their waggle dance not to entertain, but to inform their fellow bees where to find food. It’s functional, not flashy.”

Buzz had to admit she had a point. “Bees just don’t seem to get the concept of ‘likes’ and ‘shares,’” he mused. “But then again, neither does my dad.”

The Queen Bee Dilemma

Buzz’s last-ditch effort was to appeal to the queen bee herself. Surely, he reasoned, if the queen could be swayed to adopt the viral dance craze, the worker bees would follow suit. So, with great fanfare, Buzz approached the hive’s royal chamber, offering the queen a front-row seat to his dance routine.

Unfortunately, the queen was not impressed. Rather than leading her hive in a synchronized dance, she merely observed Buzz with the same indifference that the worker bees had displayed. “I guess you can’t teach royalty new tricks,” Buzz sighed.

Honey Over Fame: Bees Stick to Tradition

In the end, despite Buzz’s best efforts, the bees remained true to their nature. While they weren’t interested in learning TikTok dances, they continued to pollinate, create honey, and maintain the delicate balance of their ecosystem. And, as Dr. Hivewell pointed out, “That’s probably for the best.”

“Bees are essential to our survival,” she explained. “They play a critical role in pollinating the plants that provide us with food. Asking them to prioritize dance trends over pollination is like asking a surgeon to pause a life-saving operation to post a selfie. It’s just not going to happen.”

Resourceful Content for Farmers & Cowboy Readers

If you’re a farmer or beekeeper looking to improve your pollination process, take it from Buzz: TikTok trends might not be the way to go. But don’t worry—we’ve got some real-world, time-tested strategies to keep your bees happy and productive.

• Pro Tip: Encourage natural pollination by planting a variety of native flowers that bloom throughout the growing season. Bees prefer flowers to hashtags, trust us.
• Best Practices: Maintain a clean and healthy hive environment, free from pesticides, and provide your bees with ample water sources.
• How-to Tutorials: For faster pollination, consider using multiple hives across your fields. No dancing required—just good ol’ fashioned bee power.

In the end, it turns out that while TikTok dances may be fun for humans, bees are more focused on keeping the planet alive than on going viral. And that, perhaps, is their greatest strength.

Disclaimer

WARNING: No bees were harmed in the making of this article, although several TikTok routines were attempted. This story is the result of a collaborative effort between a beekeeper, his bees, and a wannabe influencer. All opinions are entirely human—except for the bees, who had no comment, as they were too busy making honey. 

15 Educational Observations

1. “Bees may waggle, but they’re not ready to tango”
   While bees naturally perform a “waggle dance” to communicate, this beekeeper thought adding some TikTok flair might spice things up. Turns out, bees don’t care for trending dance moves.
2. “Who knew bees preferred nectar to the latest TikTok hits?”
   As one might expect, bees are far more interested in flowers than they are in following viral trends. Sadly, no amount of #beeChallenge hashtags could change that.
3. “Beekeeping or choreography? The line gets blurry”
   After hours of showing bees the latest TikTok routines, the only ones performing dance moves were the humans. “Turns out, bees can’t hit the Renegade,” the beekeeper admitted.
4. “The real buzz? Bees care more about making honey than learning the Cha-Cha Slide”
   As it happens, bees are traditionalists. While influencers pivot to dancing for clout, the bees are focused on one thing: honey production. “It’s a simpler life,” says the beekeeper wistfully.
5. “Pollinate with precision, not pirouettes”
   Precision and consistency are key for bees when it comes to pollination. Despite their apparent lack of rhythm, they’re getting the job done—just not at TikTok speed.
6. “No bee has ever gone viral for their dance moves—and they’re fine with it”
   Unlike humans, bees aren’t chasing fame. No TikTok star bees yet, and it’s unlikely they’ll trade honey for hashtags anytime soon.
7. “Honey > Likes”
   According to the bees, there’s more to life than going viral. Honey remains their number one priority, despite human attempts to spice things up with TikTok moves.
8. “Trying to teach bees TikTok dances? You might as well try to teach cows to moonwalk”
   Some ideas are just doomed from the start, and this one ranks high on the list. Bees don’t dance for social media—they dance for survival.
9. “Influencers might thrive on trends, but bees live for the flowers”
   While TikTok trends come and go, bees stay focused on their floral goals. One beekeeper realized quickly that they’re here for the nectar, not the #ForYouPage.
10. “The Beekeeper’s Dilemma: Do bees dance for clout, or just for the queen?”
    Spoiler: It’s the queen. No one’s going viral here except her royal highness.
11. “Pollination goals, not follower goals”
    The bees are doing just fine with their millennia-old pollination strategy. Turns out, dancing to ‘Savage Love’ doesn’t help them find the flowers any faster.
12. “The bees ignored the dance moves—but influencers everywhere are mimicking them”
    Though the bees didn’t learn any new steps, human influencers caught on quickly. As they say, if you can’t teach a bee, teach a Gen Z.
13. “Even bees think TikTok trends have a short shelf life”
    Bees are used to working in cycles, but these dance fads come and go too quickly even for them to keep up.
14. “Waggle, but make it fashion”
    The beekeeper’s attempt to modernize the classic bee dance with TikTok flair failed miserably, but the concept is now trending in the human world as ‘Bee Chic.’
15. “If bees can’t dance, what hope is there for the rest of us?”
    If highly organized, efficient, and purposeful bees can’t grasp TikTok routines, maybe the rest of us shouldn’t feel too bad about our own dance fails.