Drones could be part of plan to save the bees

SATELLITES and drones could be drafted in to help save the bumble bee.

Scientists say the technology could be used to collect key information and track the availability of flowers. They say it could be combined with behavioural studies to see the world through the eyes of insects.

The flowers available to insects vary from day to day and place to place, and human activity is changing landscapes in ways that affect all pollinators.

The University of Exeter team, supported by the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, hope the new approach can help scientists understand the changes, leading to better conservation.

Lead author Dunia Gonzales said: “Recent advances in drone and satellite technology have created new opportunities.

“Drones can now give us fine details of a landscape on the scale of individual flowers and combining this with satellite imagery, we can learn about the food available to pollinators across a large area.

“Along with behavioural studies of insects, this will help us understand the threats they face and how to design conservation programmes.”

She said pollinators provided a range of benefits to humans by pollinating food crops. However, much about their behaviour and habitats and the impact of climate change remains unknown.