QR Codes have been placed on bees to enable their movements to be tracked and studied. — Photography Courtesy of The Pennsylvania State University/AFP Relaxnews
Scientists have come up with a unique but practical way of monitoring bees' daily activity. Their solution consists in sticking a small QR code on them so as to track them as minutely as possible when they go foraging.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University came up with the idea of equipping bees with miniature QR codes to study their foraging habits. This completely new approach enables the insects' comings and goings to be tracked precisely, providing detailed information on the duration of their outings and the distance covered to collect nectar and pollen.
Observing bees through traditional "manual" means is a method with numerous limitations when it comes to acquiring precise data on their movements. Here, thanks to small tags placed on the insects, the bees' every move is effectively monitored. The tags are stuck to the upper part of bees' back between their head and abdomen. The code is then read by the tracking system each time the bees enter or leave the hive, the aim being to collect as much data as possible on their foraging habits. To date, over 32,000 bees have been tagged.
Initial observations reveal that, while the majority of bee outings last just a few minutes, some can extend to over two hours. Bees are capable of flying up to 10 kilometres from their hive, although this is quite rare. This technology, which is still in its infancy, opens up new prospects for a better understanding of foraging behaviour, and could ultimately inspire the adoption of new approaches or practices in the world of beekeeping. – AFP Relaxnews
