Scientists in Australia, worried about the decline in the honey bee population, have attached ‘backpacks’ onto 5,000 honey bees to seek clues.
Honey bee pollination is vital to crop growth, with as much as one-third of the world’s food relying on pollination.
Australia has escaped the ‘colony collapse disorder’ and the Varroa mite plague hitting other countries and the research hopes to discover why these conditions have been avoided.
The sensors measure just 2.5mm squared and resemble tiny backpacks. They were fitted onto bees which had been lightly refrigerated to put them into a restful state. They were then released into the wild.
The sensors are Radio Frequency Identification units which record an insect passing particular check points. Researchers then use that information to develop a three dimensional model of how bees move through the landscape.
The swarm sensing project is being done by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, headed up by science leader Dr Paulo de Souza, who said: “Any change in their behaviour indicates a change in their environment. If we can model their movements, we'll be able to recognise very quickly when their activity shows variation and identify the cause”.
It is the first time such large numbers of insects have been used for environmental monitoring.
The next stage will be to use sensors of just 1mm attached to smaller insects, such as mosquitoes and fruit flies.
The research will also study the impact of pesticides on bee colonies by monitoring insects that feed at places which have trace amounts of chemicals.
Recent research found that Europe needs 13.4 million more honey bee colonies to properly pollinate all its crops. Previous studies estimated that the number of honey bees in the UK has halved in the last 25 years.
Scientists think the bee shortfall is leading to reduced crop yields and warn that in future farmers may have to use mechanical or hand pollination. This would increase the cost of food.
