Scientists from the University of Cologne in Germany have discovered a novel way for authorities to make use of honeybees to detect illegal substances like cannabis, cocaine and heroin at airport check-outs.
The experts detailed how they have made their discovery in a scientific paper published on Plos One. In it, the scientists wrote that they studied three different insects --- the hissing cockroach, the grapevine moth and the western honeybee --- and have concluded that the bees can differentiate the odor of the contraband best using its "biosensors."
The experts said that the honeybees can essentially replace dog-sniffers at the airports, which needs time, care and training, according to Daily Mail.
"Trained insects have been proposed as alternative biosensors for illegal drugs because their antennae are the most sensitive natural organs discovered thus far for the detection of volatiles. Insects can be produced and reared inexpensively, and they can be conditioned rapidly to react to specific volatiles," the researchers said.
In the study, the scientists were able to achieve rapid conditioning of the bees through mild electric shock when the insects were exposed to the odor of heroin. They saw that the bees flew towards the substance's smell.
While the scientists do not recommend that authorities carry around a jar of bees with them, they recommend using a sensoring devise that could house the bees and detect narcotics with 95 percent accuracy. Eventually, the bees may also be trained to detect bombs and diseases.
Training bees to detect odor have been done before, however, according to Thomas Nowotny, a professor at the University of Sussex, via BBC. "They actually tried to sell it to the military as a device," Nowotny said.
"If they do that with odors, they could also know it about colors or patterns. Bees are also well known to be able to [go] home in complex environments. They fly out, easily hundreds of meters, then they come back and find their hive. If you think, bumble bees live in the ground in a little hole. They also find that back," he added.
