Abstract: A hardware system for recording honey bee acoustics coupled with software for filtering, summarizing and analyzing acoustic data detects and identifies airborne toxics. Summary data is analyzed using routine statistical procedures to associate sound spectra with acoustic variations produced by specific airborne compounds. Honey bees produce unique acoustics upon exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of various airborne toxicants, as well as to other stressors such as predatory mites. The system profiles acoustic signatures of free-flying honey bee colonies, analyzes the resulting sounds, and identifies compounds based on specific properties of the acoustic recording, providing a solution to the problem of wide-area, atmospheric monitoring.

Abstract: An integrated bee monitoring system for monitoring bee colonies in a hive has a central microprocessor, at least two input transducers and at least two output signals. Input transducers include sensors which report the status of the colonies including colony weight, temperature, and relative humidity. A bee counter can also be included in the system to indicate colony activity. A bee counter is disclosed which uses an amplifying, multiplexer hysteresis and debounce circuitry to enable rapid and accurate polling of a single passageway. Information collected can be retrieved by read-out or liquid crystal display. Alternatively, information ca be retrieved by telephone line or wireless communications. The bee monitoring system also can remotely control peripheral devices such as feeders or chemical samplers.

Abstract: A method to condition honey bees to search for a non-rewarding producing target odor source enables bees to identify a number of chemical substances such as those associated with unexploded ordnances, land mines, and illicit drug laboratories. Further, the subject method can be used to increase pollination efficiency by conditioning the bees to search for a specific vapor from a target crop. The method includes conditioning the bees to the target odor by moving their hives into a staging area. The staging area is located at least two miles from the ultimate site to be searched. The target odor is applied to the hive. Bulk feeders containing the target odor are placed near the hive. The hives are reoriented to the bulk feeders for several days. The hives are then moved to the search site and feeding/conditioning trays containing the target odor are placed nearby. For the first, approximately 24 hours, the bees are fed from the feeding/conditioning trays.

Abstract: An integrated bee monitoring system for monitoring bee colonies in a hive is described. The system has a central microprocessor, at least two input transducers and at least two output signals. Input transducer include sensors which report the status of the colonies including colony weight, temperature, and relative humidity. A bee counter can also be included in the system to indicate colony activity. A bee counter is disclosed which uses an amplifying, multiplexer hysteresis an debounce circuitry to enable rapid and accurate polling of a single passageway. Information collected can be retrieved by read-out or liquid crystal display. Alternatively, information can be retrieved by telephone line or wireless communications. The bee monitoring system also can remotely control peripheral devices such as feeders or chemical samplers.

Abstract: A method to condition honey bees to search for a non-reward producing target odor source is described. The method can be used to enable bees to identify a number of chemical substances such as those associated with unexploded ordinances, land mines, and illicit drug laboratories. Further, the subject method can be used to increase pollination efficiency by conditioning the bees to search for a specific vapor from a target crop. The method includes conditioning the bees to the target odor by moving their hives into a staging area. The staging area is located at least two miles from the ultimate site to be searched. The target odor is applied to the hives. Bulk feeders containing the target odor are placed near the hives. The hives are reoriented to the bulk feeders for several days. The hives are then moved to the search site and feeding/conditioning means containing the target odor are placed nearby. For the first, approximately 24 hours, the bees are fed from the feeding/conditioning means.