A “temper tester” has been developed to measure the aggressiveness of the
African honeybees now dominant in most of Latin America and five US states.
These aggressive insects tend to pursue their victims and sting quickly, in
large numbers. The tester, invented by the US Department of Agriculture,
consists of an egg-shaped target made of black plastic that encloses a
microphone. Each sting attempt makes a “ping” sound that is picked up by the
mike and sent to a computer, which calculates the sting rate and attack
duration.
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