TBees ......

An innovative prototype olfactory sensing platform has been developed that incorporates honey bees in a ‘vapour detection instrument’. Each bee is mounted in a holder with its antennae and mouthparts free. Bees may be restrained in their holder for several days.

Bees are ‘trained’ to associate the odour of interest with a food reward using sugar coated cotton buds. (Pavlovian conditioning). The process takes a few minutes. Once trained, bees show a conditioned tongue (proboscis) extension reflex when they encounter the learnt odour.