Honeybee (Apis mellifera) fanning wings at entrance to its hive. Fanning is done to cool the hive and, in this case, to pass chemical messages called pheromones from one bee to another. The rear legs of this bee are loaded with pollen and the bee may be communicating its source to other bees in the colony. By fanning, honeybees are able to waft pheromones to many bees in a short amount of time. Honeybees are among the most social of all insects and have developed remarkable communication methods.