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The Cumbrian

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Did anyone else see the short section on BBC1 "The One Show" about security bees?

They were training them in about 10 mins to recognise explosives and drugs the harnessing them in an electronic device to check luggage.

The bees were able to be released unharmed later.
 
Just watched it. Found it amazing
 
Sniffer Bees

Well worth watching.Should be on bbc iplayer later tonight.
Bob.
Spam deleted.
 
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Did anyone else see the short section on BBC1 "The One Show" about security bees?

They were training them in about 10 mins to recognise explosives and drugs the harnessing them in an electronic device to check luggage.

The bees were able to be released unharmed later.

Is it the 1st of April?:rolleyes:
 
Is it the 1st of April?:rolleyes:

Not at all. The basic idea was that bees learn the smell of thins which provide food so you expose them to the smell you want sniffed for and feed. Soon sometimes after only one attempt they put their tongues out on smelling the subject.

The bees are then put into a sort of carriage and placed into the machine which draws air through. When the bees tongue comes out it is shown on the screen. Detected I suspect by an infra red detector.

Obviously they used "batteries" of bees not just a single bee.

As Bob's bees says well worth a look.
 
We discussed this when I did a beekeeping course in 2009. The company operating the technology is called Inscentinel. Nothing much seems to have happened commercially since the first article in 2007.
 
Anybody got the facility to take a digital copy of this? Is it legal to do so?

I've got a bee meeting next Wednesday and would love to show it there.

ps and to show off my new sig !!
 
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Certainly showed how quickly they learn- 1 demo and they were 100% correct.
 
Wilderness
If you can't get anything in time for your talk, try the Inscentinel website or just google sniffer bees - some good pics and a short explanation of the procedure.
Eb
 
We discussed this when I did a beekeeping course in 2009. The company operating the technology is called Inscentinel. Nothing much seems to have happened commercially since the first article in 2007.

Think they are an commercial arm of Rothamsted Bee unit, the buildings in the background looked like the main admin building and Rothamsted open day had photos of the bees last year....edit 2010
 
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This technique is being used locally at Exeter University in research into honeybees.
 
I watched the programme and although I found it interesting, I also found the use of insects in this way a little like factory farming and to be honest a bit alarming. Especially when the fella had them all loaded into a gun thing.
Should we really be using bees in this way or is it just mel, after all dogs are used to sniff out some most disgusting things?
S
 
The US military looked at this and threw quite a lot a money at the problem. My recollection was it worked in the lab but the practical issues around getting it to work on say an Afghan battlefield were insurmountable. However, for civilian use in an airport perhaps it might work - but you can imagine the panic if a bees escaped in an airport waiting lounge and the cost to the airport if they stung some one who promptly expired or even just felt mildly uncomfortable. The ambulance chasing lawyers would form their own swarm.
 
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I watched the programme and although I found it interesting, I also found the use of insects in this way a little like factory farming and to be honest a bit alarming. Especially when the fella had them all loaded into a gun thing.
Should we really be using bees in this way or is it just mel, after all dogs are used to sniff out some most disgusting things?
S

:iagree:
It was rather disturbing actually - seeing them all in those little cartridges with their heads sticking out. They may only live for a short while in nature, but bees are a social animal. Not sure where I stand on this one.
 

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