Pentagon training bees to swarm into action By Andrew Buncombe in Washington 14 May 2002 The Pentagon is preparing a sting operation with a difference – training ordinary bees to smell out explosives, drugs and even to help clear minefields. For the past three years government-funded scientists have been doing tests, training bees to detect materials other than pollen. Officials hope that they could be used as apian sniffer dogs, swarming into action when required. In two tests last year, bees were able to detect two trucks tainted with explosives. Scientists say the bees are at least as sensitive to odours as dogs. "The preliminary results have so far been very encouraging," said a spokeswoman for the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is funded by the Pentagon. The bees are trained to detect the various substances by a simple method of reward association. Scientists at the Air Force research laboratory in Texas said the bees were successful in 99 per cent of tests. "One of the methods is to associate the odour with a food source," they said. The Pentagon is considering establishing bee colonies near security checkpoints.
I read that the most effective animal is a pig. They are using them in landmine sweep in Cambodia. And hey, if it triggers one, Bar-B-Que!
Seriously tho, how hard would it be to combat the bees. I'm sure there is an odor, some kind of sound, or something that would throw them off track..... or maybe not.
What if they put a stronger odor of the food the bees like away from the scent of what they associate w/ the food. Now if you could condition the bees to associate the scent w/ an orgasm...
LOL this is funny, cuz today actually we were talking about the smartest animals in my Biology class, and most people said yea the dog is probably the smartest animal and my teacher says well yea, but i also heard the pig is also pretty smart, we all were pretty surprised by that.
Or what? You'll release the dogs, or the bees, or the dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you? Well, go ahead -- do your worst!
