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The Buzz Word is Pheromones
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Have you ever
fantasized about being a queen bee before? Well, if you haven't,
maybe you will now. Did you know that a queen bee just has to be
present and worker bees will collect food for her. How does that
sound? Also, when the queen is wearing her scent, she can't be
resisted by any bee in the colony. Maybe now you're interested?
Scientists at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia
certainly are and they've decided to disrupt this monarchy. Dr.
K. Slessor and Dr. M. Winston have spent many years researching
honey bees and have found the secret potion that puts the holder
in charge. This well kept secret potion is composed of
pheromones.
Pheromones are chemical compounds that are used to alter the
behaviour and the physiology (the function of living things or
their organs) of many animal species. Research has indicated that
this potion modifies such physiological and behavioural responses
as development of ovaries in worker bees, attraction of workers
to form swarm clusters around the queen (retinue response),
worker orientation during swarming, individual queen recognition,
and stimulation of pollen foraging.
Identification of the queen honey bee pheromone has been
accomplished by the use of gas chromatography, nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS). These
techniques are used to assign structures to the active
components. The mixture identified is referred to as the 'essence
of royalty' and is produced by the mandibular gland in the jaw of
queen honey bees and, more recently, in a chemistry lab. It is a
cocktail of five organic compounds in specific proportions that
are weakly active when tested separately.
The significance of this discovery is that once the chemical
messenger is in hand, the user can control the behaviour of
worker honey bees. For example, the correct use of this pheromone
can increase the production of honey and wax or the yield of
fruits like pears, cranberries and blueberries by increased
pollination rates. Also, the attractant, or pheromone, may be
used to control the actions of the Africanized bee (called the
'killer bee') that is responsible for transporting many diseases.
The techniques used for identification of this pheromone have
led to the identification of pheromones that belong to other
insect populations. These pheromones can be used for the trapping
of damaging insects by luring them away from their natural
targets.. This strategy for pest control has an environmentally
favourable impact because it reduces the use of pesticides.
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