https://www.beeculture.com/telling-the-bees/
On Friday, John Chapple, the 79-year-old official Palace beekeeper, performed a sad, traditional task. It fell upon him to inform tens of thousands of bees about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“The person who has died is the master or mistress of the hives, someone important in the family who dies and you don’t get any more important than the Queen, do you?” Chapple said to the British newspaper. Getting into the nitty-gritty of it, he explained, “You knock on each hive and say, ‘The mistress is dead, but don't you go. Your master will be a good master to you.’”
From the Smithsonian archives
The horrific sinking of the HMAS Sydney (1941)
"Show the secret signal of a friendly Allied vessel."
Silence. Then all hell broke loose.
Before long, the pride of the Australian Navy vessel sank with all hands.