Multiple Recipients of List BEE-L
 
We are building and testing honey bee flight chambers in aseptic isolation
chambers.  The goal is to design inexpensive chambers, easy to build, and use.
Object is to fly bees from mini-nucs for 3-6 weeks in the chambers without -
the colony dwindling away or all the bees stuck in the corners of the chamber.
 
 We need cheap chambers so that we can get adequate replication for our
experiments.
 
So far, we have come up with the following:
 
1.  Eliminate corners
2.  Use diffuse, non-directional light
3.  Pick up the mini-nucs during the day to get rid of old foragers
4.  May be able to train bees to fly to feeding station
 
Rumor has it that the Germans have worked out the latest in chamber
technology.  I have found some of the literature on their flight tests,
but little on chamber design.  Also hear that a symposium was held a few
years ago (possibly as part of the International Union for the Study of
Social Insects???).  Either I have the name of the society wrong, or
nobody has their proceedings - my searches end up a big zero.
 
Needless to say, I needed the information yesterday.  Weather in Montana
will take a decided turn for the worst shortly.  I have the nucs
established and the isolation chamber.
 
Any ideas, recommendations, details on existing or proposed chambers would
be greatly appreciated.
 
Sincerely,
 
Jerry J. Bromenshenk
Division of Biological Sciences
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT  59812-1002
 
Tel: (406) 243-5648
Fax: (406) 243-4184
 
Internet:  [log in to unmask]
Bitnet:    jjbmail@cunyvm