Sound Advice 
Volume 11, Issue 1, 2008

Where's the Buzz?

There’s a baffling new syndrome that has caused the disappearance of millions of bees. It’s called community collapse disorder. The syndrome hits quickly, hard, and leaves behind no trace of what happened. Farmers simply discover that their bees are missing. If you’re like most people, and don’t like bugs, this may at first blush sound like a good thing. However, American farmers rely on healthy bee colonies to pollinate their fruit and vegetable crops.

If we want to keep our sweet treats and veggies coming, then we have to find out what’s going on. One culprit may be a new class of pesticides that causes disorientation in insects. Once exposed to the chemical, affected bees may be unable to find their way back to the hive.

In tests, researchers have discovered that the frequencies and volume of the bees’ buzzing changes markedly when the bees are exposed to a chemical agent. These changes in frequency and amplitude create a unique sound signature that can be used to identify the specific chemical agent in question.

Using the gathered data, researchers hope to develop a handheld sound meter device that may one day enable farmers to check on the health of their hives. Of course, this won’t make up for the millions of bees already lost, but it would act as an alert before disaster strikes another colony.

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