Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: FRAMEshift on November 06, 2010, 01:10:16 PM

Title: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: FRAMEshift on November 06, 2010, 01:10:16 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8104213/Bees-mans-best-friend-provider-and-protector.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8104213/Bees-mans-best-friend-provider-and-protector.html)

A British company, Inscentinel Ltd, has developed an ingenious device that uses bees to sniff out narcotics, home-made fertiliser bombs, plastic explosives and 60 or so other dangerous substances. Three bees are placed inside a shoe box-sized "sniffer box". Air is sucked in via tubes and wafted gently over the bees. If they detect explosives or narcotics they all stick out their tongues, sending an alarm to
the operator.


As I understand it, the bees are exposed to a mixture of sugar water, caffeine (to amplify their sensitivity to odors), and the chemical targeted for detection.  The training consists of 5 exposures over a short period and the reliability is 98%, compared to 70% for drug sniffing dogs.
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: annette on November 06, 2010, 01:28:07 PM
Perhaps we should show this article to our Home Land Security :shock:
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: FRAMEshift on November 06, 2010, 01:33:17 PM
Quote from: annette on November 06, 2010, 01:28:07 PM
Perhaps we should show this article to our Home Land Security :shock:
The news report I saw on this suggested that bees are being used in the US already but the TSA will not disclose where or what they are scanning for. 
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: BeesNeeds on November 06, 2010, 01:47:01 PM
Well that is frigging awesome!! Bees are so amazing :)
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: Finski on November 06, 2010, 03:08:56 PM
.
So they show tongue to all evil?

(http://wallpapers.free-review.net/wallpapers/15/Tongue_Show_Cat.jpg)
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: FRAMEshift on November 06, 2010, 09:26:44 PM
Quote from: Finski on November 06, 2010, 03:08:56 PM
.
So they show tongue to all evil?

(http://wallpapers.free-review.net/wallpapers/15/Tongue_Show_Cat.jpg)
Is "show tongue" a Finnish idiom?  Sounds good. 

I was wondering how they measure the position of the bees tongues.  :-P :-P :-P  I guess they use 3 so that they don't get false positive readings.  If all three go out at the same time, that means detection of the chemical.  They must hold the bees in a fixed position with a laser shining on the front of their heads.  When the tongue comes out, that blocks the laser.  Just guessing of course.   :-D
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: bugleman on November 06, 2010, 11:44:03 PM
We have people working on it in America or for the average wage slave a corporation called the U.S.
Title: Re: bees used to sniff chemicals, drugs, explosives
Post by: cicot on March 27, 2011, 05:26:56 PM
Who heard about some detector ADE 651? It is produced by the company atscltd.com ATSC LTD. Does anybody heard about them?

:?

Is this possible?