When the Apis dorsata giant honey bees are bothered, the bees that are outside the nest raise their body. Then the ones next to them do the same, launching a mesmerising metachronal rythm, a wave like in the stadiums.
Nests are constructed in the open and in elevated locations, such as on urban buildings or tall trees. These bees rarely build nests on old or weak buildings for safety concerns. Apis dorsata can form dense aggregations at one nesting site, sometimes with up to 200 colonies in one tree.
