Most people have heard of bomb-sniffing dogs (among other things they sniff for), but bees? Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have trained bees, yes, bees, to sniff for bombs.
Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico said they trained honeybees to stick out their proboscis — the tube they use to feed on nectar — when they smell explosives in anything from cars and roadside bombs to belts similar to those used by suicide bombers.Researchers in the program, dubbed the Stealthy Insect Sensor Project, published their findings Monday.
“When bees detect the presence of explosives, they simply stick their proboscis out,” research scientist Tim Haarmann told Reuters in a telephone interview. “You don’t have to be an expert in animal behavior to understand it as there is no ambiguity.” Source: CNN
The idea would put them into hand-held devices or even robotic devices that security guards could use. I can see there being a new requirement for Homeland Security jobs, though … “Must not be allergic to bee stings.”
