Weak anthropogenic electric fields affect honeybee foraging
This animal ecology study reports that weak anthropogenic-like airborne electric fields can reduce honeybee floral landing rates. It reports deterrent effects for AC and positive DC fields, with no statistically significant effect for negative DC fields. The authors also report that electric fields measured near high-voltage power lines can match the levels that affected bees and extend tens of meters at foraging-relevant heights.
Key points
- Bees use airborne electric fields as foraging cues, motivating concern about human-made electric fields.
- Weak anthropogenic-like electric fields were reported to reduce honeybee floral landing rates.
- Both AC and positive DC fields were reported to deter landings, while negative DC fields were not statistically significant.
- The abstract links altered landing behavior to potential disruption of plant-pollinator interactions.
- Electric fields measured near high-voltage power lines were reported to match those affecting bees in experiments.
- The authors call for more research on ecological impacts of electric pollution.
Referenced studies & papers
Relevant papers in OpenMel
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AI-generated summaries may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
AI-generated summaries may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
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