Tech Bees! What else?
Australian scientists have devised a way
to pinpoint the causes of the global die-off of bees that pollinate a third of
the world’s crops: Attach tiny sensors to 5,000 honey bees, and follow where
they fly.
The sensors, each measuring 2.5
millimeters by 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inch by 0.1 inch), contain radio frequency
identification chips that broadcast each bee’s location in real-time. The data
is beamed to a server, so scientists can construct a three-dimensional model of
the swarm’s movements, identifying anomalies in their behavior.
Worker bees tend to follow predictable
daily schedules—they don’t call them drones for nothing—leaving the beehive at
certain times, foraging for pollen, and returning home along well-established
routes. Variations in their routines may indicate a change in environment, such
as exposure to pesticides.
Over the past decade, millions of bees
have died as entire beehives have suddenly turned into tombs, a phenomenon
known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Scientists have struggled to identify
the causes of CCD. Some studies indicating that a class of agricultural
pesticides called neonicotinoids are responsible for bee deaths. Others have
pointed to everything from poor nutrition to stress to automotive exhaust.
But none of those studies have involved
tracking bees’ behavior in real time in the real world. That’s where scientists
at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
(CSIRO) come in. If the sensor-equipped bees transmit data indicating that they
have changed their behavior, say, by flying a circuitous path to and from the
beehive, it may point to exposure to something in the environment, whether a
pesticide or parasite. Researchers suspect that some pesticides may interfere
with bees’ ability to orient themselves as they fly and forage. That’s crucial,
as bees are social insects that communicate the location of pollen to other
bees in the beehive.
If the bee sensors indicate that’s
happening, scientists can immediately go to the bees’ location and investigate
whether the crops and wildflowers in the area contain pesticides, and if so,
how much. The 5,000 bees are being released in the Australian island state of
Tasmania. “If we can model their movements, we’ll be able to recognize very
quickly when their activity shows variation and identify the cause,” Paulo de
Souza, the CSIRO scientists leading the swarm sensing effort, said in a
statement.
So how do you attach a sensor to a bee?
Put them in a refrigerator. The cold
induces a coma-like state long enough for the sensor to be attached to their
backs with adhesive. The procedure takes a couple of minutes, and the bees then
wake up and return to their hives. “The sensors appear to have no impact on the
bee’s ability to fly and carry out its normal duties,” de Souza said.
The project will be watched closely in the
rest of the world, particularly in Europe where a recent study found that
demand for pollination is fast outstripping the supply of bees.
Todd Woody is an environmental and
technology journalist based in California. He has written for The New York
Times and Quartz, and was previously an editor and writer at Fortune, Forbes,
and Business 2.0.
Last updated July 21, 2022
Spanish language version also available.
Sources/Links:
https://qz.com/167730/the-internet-of-bees-could-save-our-food-supply/
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