What a wonderful achievement to attach radar equipment to the rather small body of a bee (Malvern Gazette, May 13). Professor Joe Riley fully deserves acclaim for his part in making this possible.

As an amateur beekeeper some 25 years ago I well remember the theory being made that the ones returning from foray did indeed make signals to each other, and watching them after Karl von Frisch disclosed his theories I marvelled at this obviously true fact.

But remarkable too, is the fact that those helpful bees were/are not alienated by the rest of the hive when they wore their equipment, which must have looked pretty bizarre to them, and how I wonder, did the bees allow for the height difference on their return and their movements within the small hive confines. What was the weight ratio of equipment to bee? Professor Riley, over to you please.

Charles Green, Green Lane, Malvern.