Facilities

Proboscis Extension Response (PER) Equipment

We have a robot that automates the PER process: it can rotate through 24 bees, present them with an odor, reward, or punishment, and photograph the proboscis extension response. See (Shafir, 2008) that describes this instrument. We also have a semi-automatic PER station.

Sharoni Shafir

Honey Extraction Room

We extract our own excellent honey twice a year!

Sharoni Shafir

Flight Room

This is a room in which bees are allowed to fly freely within a controlled environment. Temperature, humidity, and light cycles can be regulated.

Sharoni Shafir

Observation Room

A lab room with windows is attached to a large tent for free-flying bees. Experiments in the observation room may involve temperature controlled observation hives inside the lab, while bees are allowed to exit the hive into a large, controlled foraging arena.

Sharoni Shafir

Outdoor Tent Houses

Medium sized tents allow hives to be fed a controlled diet while still providing them with space to fly and natural weather conditions.

Sharoni Shafir

Apiary

We keep many hives in the experimental and educational apiary located at our lab, as well as on the farm of the Faculty of Agriculture.

Sharoni Shafir

Observation Hives

Sharoni Shafir

Composter

We proudly recycle the organic waste from our lab! We plan to use the resulting soil to grow flowers for the bees in our nectarivorous garden.

Sharoni Shafir

Electroantennograph

Measures the electric output of the antenna to the brain in response to an odor.

Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens

This apparatus is used to artificially inseminate queens. This method can be used to ensure insemination by specific drones, and to create known crosses between strains of honey bees.

Sharoni Shafir

photo credit: Sue Cobey

Olfactometer

This instrument is used to produce odors in a precise and controlled environment. Bees are presented with pheromones or other odors in an arena that allows observation of their behavior.