Bees can use trail pheromones to mark food sources and the entrance of their hives. Oftentimes, when finding a source, bees will mark that exact location as well as secreting pheromones along the flight back to their hives. Employment of trail pheromones is extensively studied in honey bees and stingless bees, for both are highly social.
The trail pheromone of the stingless bee Trigona recursa is produced by its labial glands. One of its key compounds is hexyl decanoate, and when secreted, the pheromone will recruit other bees towards the source. The stingless bee Scaptotrigona pectoralis, like ants, can utilize another colonys food trail. Specifically, they can learn foreign pheromone trails at a source, broadening their options for foraging. However, in some cases of aggressive bees, like Trigona corvina', encounters between individuals from different colonies at a food source will result in fights and ultimately death amongst both parties.