The Buzzing Of Bees Can Warn Of Nearby Poisons

The researchers, who work for a UM spin-off technology company called Bee Alert Technology Inc., have found that the insects buzz differently when exposed to various poisonous chemicals.

“We found bees respond within 30 seconds or less to the presence of a toxic chemical,” said Research Professor Jerry Bromenshenk. “The military is interested in that for countering terrorism. But the real surprise was that the sounds bees produce can actually tell what chemical is hitting them.”

The insects also make different sounds when attacked by honeybee maladies such as varroa mites or foul brood. This may lead to applications that help beekeepers maintain healthy hives.

“We can tell not only whether the colony has mites or not,” Bromenshenk said, “but also the level of infestation they have. The sounds they make change with every stressor in characteristic ways.”

Scott Debnam, a Bee Alert field technician and self-described “bee whisperer,” said people have known for centuries that hives make a different sound when the queen is removed. Now modern listening equipment and computer software have revealed a secret bee vocabulary much more intricate than previously thought.

Read the rest here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319201509.htm