BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The buzz is honeybees could be useful to help soldiers detect toxic chemicals used in terror attacks or war.

    U.S. scientists have discovered honeybees could be highly sensitive, living alarms systems because their buzz changes when exposed to different kinds of chemicals, according to media reports Tuesday.

    The U.S. Army was interested in finding a way to quickly detect a poisonous cloud of gas, and honeybees were a perfect candidate because "(humans) and honeybees share a common sensitivity to many of the same chemicals," said Jerry Bromenshenk of Bee Alert Technology, Inc.

    Bromenshenk and his colleagues exposed colonies of bees to various toxins and discovered they could hear a change in the insects¡¯buzzing.

    "We found bees respond within 30 seconds or less to the presence of a toxic chemical," said Bromenshenk, also with the University of Montana. "But the real surprise was that the sounds bees produce can actually tell what chemical is hitting them."

    The researchers couldn't actually hear the unique responses to each chemical, so they devised a more sensitive detection system (essentially a human hearing aid placed in the hive). Using artificial neural networks, the same technology behind voice recognition software, they could analyze the buzzing to determine the specific buzz for each chemical.

    Bees produce their familiar buzzing sound by vibrating their wings and bodies to force air through tiny airways called spiracles that are used for breathing.

    A hive recycles its air every three minutes and the bees never sleep, so they could provide 24-hour air monitoring.

    Bees¡¯buzzing also changes when they are afflicted with natural maladies, like the parasitic varroa mites or foul brood, a spore-forming bacterium that kills young larvae.

    For commercial beekeepers, who may have thousands of colonies, it can be difficult to constantly inspect the hives for signs of pests.

    "We can tell not only whether the colony has mites or not," said Bromenshenk, "but also the level of infestation they have. The sounds they make change with every stressor in characteristic ways."

    Bromenshenk says he and his colleagues hope to translate the technology into a handheld device that could instantly detect an infestation. Such a device would be particularly critical because honeybee populations in the U.S. have been dwindling, and these insects are essential to pollinating many crops worldwide.

    (Agencies)