Scientists recruit wasps for war on terror
Scientists at a Georgia laboratory have developed what could be a low-tech, low-cost weapon in the war on terrorism: trained wasps.
The tiny, non-stinging wasps can check for hidden explosives at airports and monitor for toxins in subway tunnels.
“You can rear them by the thousands, and you can train them within a matter of minutes,” says Joe Lewis, a U.S. Agriculture Department entomologist. “This is just the very tip of the iceberg of a very new resource.”
Rains says the wasps could one day be used instead of dogs to check for explosives in cargo containers coming in to the nation’s seaports, in vehicles crossing at border checkpoints, at airports and anywhere else where security should be tight.
“It’s real easy to learn how to work with them,” he says about the wasps. “You could show somebody what to do in 30 to 40 minutes. And they’re very specific in what they learn.”
I love us! Anything that keeps our furry friends safe is fine with me. 🙂 After all, you can’t kiss a wasp on the noggin. And make them work for their…veggies?
Very hard to believe – given how small a wasp’s brain is. I feel safer with Labs.