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The Bomb Squad© Debbie St. Germain
When you think of bees, you think of honey, but now bees may play a new role in helping people. Chemists and Entomologists are working together to see whether foraging bees will be able to detect landmines.
The dust bees pick up is what the scientists are using to gather data, or rather the dust particles from TNT, a prime ingredient used in landmines. Landmines leak small amounts of explosives into the soil and water. These particles are consumed by plants and animals. By understanding the fate and transport of these contaminants, researchers can better detect their presence. A mock test site has been set up in Albuquerque, using two honeybee hives. Each bee will wear a specially designed radio-frequency tag that weigh less then a grain of rice. When a bee leaves the hive, the tag is triggered, and a reader will send the bee's identification code, direction of flight and time to a modem. When the bee returns to the hive, the modem will download the data to a central computer. The goal is to see whether this system can help in pinpointing the locations of landmines. If bees can be trained, they will make it possible to locate landmines or unexploded ammunition on firing ranges or old battlefields. Scientists hope that it will help in stopping the deaths of thousands of people, who are killed every year by buried mines. Another goal is to clear the land from mines, so farmers can feel safe about using the land again. African Honey Bees There are many myths and rumors about Africanized bees. If you would like to learn the truth about the African bee, this site will help you to disseminate the fact from the fiction. Go To Page: 1 |
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