Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Air Quality Monitors: Bees

It appears as though bees are useful in yet another application: monitoring air quality.

Popular Science: German Honey Bee Air Quality Monitors

Bees have also been used to detect explosives and other chemicals. They are taught using the Pavlov conditioning technique to be rewarded with sugar water every time a certain chemical is present. With a bit of training, the bees will stick out their tongues as soon as they detect the chemical. Scientists strap bees into a detection box and with a video camera they watch the bees to see if they detect anything.

Reminder: Replacing your comb every 3 years is good practice because enviromental toxins can build up in the comb and may be a contributing factor to honey bee losses.

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