Stan and others asked about an English version of the papers the Herve cited.
The proboscis extension response test and its application to pesticides is
described in a 2002, 333 page book that can be purchased at --
http://www.toxicologyarena.com/toxicologyarena/books/tox_highlights.htm.
The book has lots of chapters on lots of things about bees and
environmental chemicals, from pollutants to pesticides to genetically
altered plants. Bit pricey, but a unique reference, each chapter by a well
experienced researcher. And yes, I co-authored two, and no, I didn't get
paid and don't receive any royalties. For those of you in the U.S., the
publisher is Taylor and Francis, buy direct.
Also, if you Google Dr. James Devillers or Madame (Dr.) Pham-
Delegue (the French authors who edited this english language book), you'll
find on the web a variety of abstracts, etc. (many in English) about their
work.
Stan asked for something a high school student can do. Almost anyone can
conduct PER tests. The entire protocol is described by Dr. Brian Smith,
OSU, at http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/honeybee/pelink/PERprotocol.html
The PER test dates to the 1800s. In its simplest form, you capture some
bees, cool them in vials on ice. When they are groggy, you slip the
business (sting) end of the bee into a straw. Bit of paper tape, and the
live bee is stuck in the straw like a kid in a high chair with a seat belt.
Be sure that the head is just above the straw with the mouth parts on the
outside. When it warms up, the bee will wiggle about, just like your kid
in the high chair.
A simple tube or syringe system, bit of charcoal for an air filter, and an
small aquarium pump make up a dosing system.
In essence, you evaporate some of the test material on filter paper
(blotter, anything a bit absorbant), put it inside a capsule (syringe body,
bit of glass tubing), and puff air through, aimed at the bee. This could
as simple as an eye dropper, but a pump works better. Use very low air
flow -- idea is to 'waft' the odor into the 'face' of the bee.
Ok, to keep the bees in their straws upright, you simply plunk the bottom
end of straw into a bit of clay (used as a base).
If you wait too long, you have to feed the bees. Trick, keep them hungry,
but not starving.
When ready to go, you puff the odor at the bee, then imediately bring over
on a syringe or small tube a hanging drop of syrup. The bee sees syrup,
has just 'smelled' an odor. About 80% of the ladies will pop their mouth
parts up to taste -- and having tasted, they are hooked.
Do this 3-4 times, and they clearly learn to anticipate the drop of reward
after the puff -- Pavlov's salivating dog, all over. You do have to
condition (train) the bees so that they only get the food if the puff
contains the test odor. No odor, no food.
From then, you can test what odors bees can sense, at what concentrations,
as well as the effects of interferrents (exposure to other chemicals, heat,
light, cold, its up to your interest or imagination). Be sure to
intersperse controls (puffs of air without an odor). Some bees get jumpy,
anticipate reward, and give false readings. So do some trained dogs -- why
make a choise if the handler can be tricked into feeding you anyway?
Cull out these gals that want a reward without making a choice. Be careful
that each bee is responding to the odor in the puff and not you or the
click of a switch.
Quick learners, these little bees. We went to a computer to initiate the
puff, but a "blind" can be used -- bit of cardboard with a peep hole, so
you can see the bee, but she can't see you.
Eventually the conditioning, training wears off -- another topic of study,
how fast, how long, and what happens if I periodically re-condition.
Again, just like any trained animal. They need to succeed and get the
reward. But, don't reward mistakes. If you reward them too much, they get
full, happy, and will have little interest. Starve them, and you stress
them.
They also need to discover something once in a while. A whole afternoon of
air puffs without an odor or reward probably won't work. Remember,
odor+puff = immediate reward (syrup). Puff with no odor, no reward.
This is an incredibly cheap test, all can be done in a day from start to
finish, and you can release the bees afterwards. It does take time and a
bit of patience (but the results are immediate).
Now, to streamline this, you can use the "instrument on a desktop"
developed by Inscentinel. http://www.inscentinel.com/tech.htm
The bees get an environmentally controlled home, an automated video system
that observes the bees, and indicator lights that flag a detection. Bit
fancier than bees in a straw, but same assay (PER).
Whether the bees care if they are in a straw or a bee hotel will be a
subject of collaborative work between Inscentinel and us this summer at the
University of Montana in Missoula. We were initially trained by Dr. Smith
at OSU. Also, one of the Inscentinel scientists trained in France with Dr.
Pham Delegue.
We anticipate that the Inscentinel scientists will probably be in Missoula
for the Western Apiculture Meetings on July 13-15
(beekeeper.dbs.umt.edu/WAS/). We have confirmation from them that if the
funding, etc. permits, they will be here in Missoula for the meeting, will
participate.
On July 13th, Dr. Gabe Patrick, of the U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Program
(he was to have hosted the meeting cancelled by Bayer)will be in Missoula
as a key note speaker for a Symposium on Pesticides and the next day for
WAS.
We invite anyone with an interest or knowledge of pesticides and honey bees
or native pollinators, to participate in the Symposium. The objective is
to get some of the recent issues out on the table, with all sides offered a
chance to present their opinions, data.
Our web page will be updated this week --we have added researchers working
with bees (pollinators) and pesticides, who are coming from Italy and from
Canada. We would like to see more Pesticide company representatives and
growers participate, and are holding a speaking position or two open for
them.
This is a great chance for all to talk about these things and meet one of
the EPA people who has to deal with how EPA evaluates pesticides risks to
pollinators. He's in a position to get some things done; questions answered.
Gabe's very open to getting a better hand on the state of North America
with respect to these questions -- reason he was involved in the cancelled
meeting, then quickly orchestrated a meeting of researchers and beekeeping
representatives in NewPort, Rhode Island, in early May, and now is coming
to Montana to talk to and meet with anyone who has a stake in these issues.
Best
Jerry
P.S. In case you are wondering, I can't talk to or render an opinion
regarding the specific issues being recently discussed in Bee Culture and
on this list, because of the pending class action suit by the so-called
"gang of 13". That's a most unfortunate term -- these beekeepers deserve
more respect.
Mark's opinions are his and do not necessarily reflect those of other
researchers.
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