Do honeybees use the directional information in round dances to find nearby food sources?

► Round dances and waggle dances of honeybees have traditionally been viewed as distinct signals. ► We tested whether honeybees can use the location information in round dances. ► We found directional bias in recruitment for food sources as close as 5 m from the hive. ► Assembly pheromone and bee presence have little influence on the directional recruitment. ► Round dances are best viewed as waggle dances for nearby food sources, not as a separate type of dance.