TWENTY thousand bees and many stings later, three Co Laois students are the winners of the Young Scientist of the Year awards. The girls, from Scoil Mhuire, Portarlington, Co Laois, entered a project entitled "The Perfect Queen Bee".
At the beginning of February, they sent self addressed envelopes to bee keepers all over the country, asking them to send back 30 bees each.
Elsie O'Sullivan (15), Rowena Mooney (15), and Patricia Lyle (14), spent the summer examining the bees and mounting their right fore wing on to a slide. "Some of them were alive when they arrived because we could hear them buzzing. We put them in the freezer," said Patricia.
After examining the veins on the wing, they were able to ascertain which breed it was. Their research as the first of its kind in Ireland or Britain.
As a result, a new classification was developed and used to subdivide the Irish bee population into three categories. Their study is a comprehensive basis for devising a breeding programme to improve the native status of the Dark European Bee. The findings could have a significant impact on the output of Irish honey.
Prof Michael Hennerty, one of the judges, said he was amazed three teenagers could make such a discovery. He said the work could not have been done previously "because it would be too much work for a professional scientist".
The girls said their teacher, Mr Alan Dunne, had suggested a project on the morphometry of bees. "In the beginning we didn't know a bee from a wasp," said Elsie. But now they are experts and have their own hives at home. They have also been made honorary members of the British Isles Bee Breeders Association.
The three Laois students will represent Ireland in the EU Science Contest in Finland in September.