Low Strength Magnetic Fields Serve as a Cue for Foraging Honey Bees but Prior Experience is More Indicative of Choice

Abstract

Low Strength Magnetic Fields Serve as a Cue for Foraging Honey Bees but Prior Experience is More Indicative of Choice Ana M Chicas-Mosier, Medhat Radi, Jack Lafferrandre, John F O'Hara, Hitesh D Vora, Charles I Abramson. Low Strength Magnetic Fields Serve as a Cue for Foraging Honey Bees but Prior Experience is More Indicative of Choice. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020 Jul 20. doi: 10.1002/bem.22285. Abstract Species of migrating insects use magnetic fields as a navigational tool that is independent of current weather conditions and non-migrating species have been shown to discriminate anomalies in magnetic field from the earth's baseline. Honey bee discrimination of magnetic field has been studied in the context of associative learning, physiology, and whole hive responses. This article uses a combination of free-flight and laboratory studies to determine how small fluctuations from Earth's magnetic field affect honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) decision-making. Honey bees were tested in three experiments: (i) recruitment to an aqueous sucrose feeder, (ii) an artificial free-flight flower patch with floral color-dependent magnetic field strength, and (iii) a Y-maze with alternating colors on a stronger magnetic field. In free-flying feeder experiments, magnetic field served as a temporary cue, but when offered an equal caloric alternative with lesser magnetic field, the latter was preferred. Flower patch experiments showed initial color biases that were abandoned as a response to magnetic field induction. In laboratory experiments, bees showed a color-dependent behavioral response to the magnetic field. The results of this study indicate that bees may use small fluctuations in magnetic fields as a cue but that it is likely low-value as compared with other stimuli pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

Across free-flight and laboratory experiments, small fluctuations from Earth's magnetic field served as a temporary cue for foraging honey bees, but bees preferred an equal-caloric alternative associated with a lesser magnetic field. In a flower patch, initial color biases were abandoned in response to magnetic field induction, and in a Y-maze bees showed a color-dependent behavioral response to the magnetic field.

Outcomes measured

• foraging decision-making/choice behavior
• recruitment to sucrose feeder
• preference between feeders with different magnetic field strengths
• color-dependent behavioral response in Y-maze

Limitations

• Sample size not reported in abstract
• Exposure characteristics (e.g., field strength values, waveform/frequency) not specified in abstract
• Duration of exposure not specified in abstract

Suggested hubs

• animal-studies (0.9)
  Experiments conducted in honey bees assessing behavioral responses to magnetic field fluctuations.

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    "outcomes": [
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    "effect_direction": "mixed",
    "limitations": [
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        "Duration of exposure not specified in abstract"
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    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
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