Wednesday 12 September 2012

Biologists Tag 'Zombees' to Track Their Flight

ScienceDaily (Sep. 6, 2012) — After last year's accidental discovery of "zombie"-like bees infected with a fly parasite, SF State researchers are conducting an elaborate experiment to learn more about the plight of the honey bees.

The scientists are tagging infected bees with tiny radio trackers, and monitoring the bees' movements in and out of a specially designed hive on top of the Hensill Hall biology building on campus. At the same time, they are monitoring hives on campus and on the roof of the San Francisco Chronicle's offices for further signs of the mysterious parasite and encouraging the public to participate through a new website ZomBeeWatch.org.

After being parasitized by the Apocephalus borealis fly, the bees abandon their hives and congregate near outside lights, moving in increasingly erratic circles on the ground before dying. The phenomenon was first discovered on campus by SF Professor of Biology John Hafernik, and reported recently in the research journal PLoS ONE, with former SF State master's student Andrew Core as lead author.

Read on:
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120906182010.htm

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