bee wears a 170-milligram (.006 ounces) radio tracking tag, about one-third of its body weight.
The tag, attached with eyelash glue and superglue, is powered by a hearing-aid battery and includes a crystal-controlled oscillator, tiny circuit and an antenna that sticks out from the back. Even loaded up like this, the bees "fly beautifully," says zoologist Martin Wikelski.
What's causing the unprecedented decline of millions of honeybees? This mystery has been vexing some of the world's best scientists ever since U.S. beekeepers began noticing enormous numbers of their bees dying off or vanishing for no apparent reason several years ago.
Honeybees contribute some $15 billion to the U.S. economy every year, pollinating 90 major crops, everything from fruits to nuts. Most of us take these foods for granted, rarely realizing the vital role tiny creatures play in making them thrive.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081114-bees-radio-tracking-missions.html
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