Report 3 of 5: A Bee Movie - Belgium

Abstract

In Belgium, Professor Frans Jacobs has been investigating methods of training bees as bio-indicators. Once the bees have learnt to sense a substance they can detect it anywhere. This means that they can be used to find dangerous polluting chemicals, landmines or any other material, providing they have been trained properly to do so.

The bees can be trained by using a bee flight room. A bee flight room is independent of the seasons and there is no time or space. It is relatively easy to create. A minimum space of two metres high, by two metres wide and two metres in depth is required for each beehive. The room should be lit by "blue light". It should be maintained at a constant temperature of 25°C and the humidity needs to be carefully controlled as it is critical in relation to the bees breeding.

Further information on this subject will be available in the future.

Please contact:
 

Professor Dr.F.J.Jacobs, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan, 281, B 9000, Gent, Belgium. Tel: +32 9 264 4929 Fax: +32 9 264 4938 E-mail: Frans.Jacobs@rug.ac.be

TVE/ Practical Action gratefully acknowledge support for the HANDS ON programmes from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC), the UN Foundation and UNDP/The Equator Initiative in collaboration with the Government of Canada, IDRC, IUCN, BrasilConnects and the Nature Conservancy.