Bees and Radiofrequency Radiation
In addition to pesticides, air pollution, and climate change, emerging research finds that man made radiofrequency radiation also negatively impacts bees and other insects.
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Scientists have documented problems with bee navigation, hive abandonment, bee colony collapse and declines in bee reproduction following placement of cell towers and other wireless infrastructure near bee colonies and habitats.
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Bees have magnetite granules present in their abdomens which enable them to use the Earth's natural magnetic field for navigation. However, the natural magnetic field has been increasingly clouded by man-made magnetic fields, created by modern digital and wireless technologies.
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As the density of wireless infrastructure has continued to increase over the past two decades, man-made radiofrequency radiation and magnetic fields have become nearly ubiquitous across the planet. Electromagnetic pollution is no longer limited to urban areas or areas of dense human population. Bees and insects in rural, remote, and protected areas are increasingly impacted.
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As bee populations have tumbled worldwide, including in areas untouched by pesticides or habitat destruction, some biologists have begun to examine radiofrequency radiation and related magnetic field disruptions in their search for causes.
A Cell Phone in the Hive:
Bees Disappear
To test the hypothesis that wireless technology could be connected with bee colony collapse, Sharma and Kumar observed four honeybee hives -- two with cell phones placed inside, and two without. They turned on the cell phones for 15 minutes, twice a day. Oviposition rates (the queen's rate of egg laying) dropped significantly. The number of incoming foragers declined, with worker bees observed having difficulty returning to their hives and large losses in worker bee numbers following. After three months, the honey and the bees had disappeared.
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Sharma, V.P. & Kumar, Neelima R. (2010). Changes in honey bee behaviour and biology under the influence of cell phone radiations. Current science. 98. 1376-1378. Link: https://scinapse.io/papers/102067909
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Excerpt: We have compared the performance of honeybees in cellphone radiation exposed and unexposed colonies... The behaviour of exposed foragers was negatively influenced by the exposure, there was neither honey nor pollen in the colony at the end of the experiment.
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Bees Initiate Piping Sound in Response to Cell Phone: Communication of Danger
Favre and colleagues placed mobile phones in 5 different honeybee hives and then took more than 80 sound recordings during the next five months (February through June 2009). When the cell phone was off, the bees remained undisturbed. When the cell phone was turned on, the impact was dramatic: The sounds made by the bees increased in intensity and frequency within 25 to 40 minutes of turning the phone on, resulting in a "worker piping signal." The worker piping sound is usually produced by bees as a signal to swarm and leave the hive sue to danger or other disruption. If the cell phone was turned off immediately, the bees calmed down within 2 or 3 minutes. If the cell phone was left on for 20 hours and then turned off, the bees continued their piping signal for up to an 12 hours. The effect was consistent and repeatable. This study demonstrated distinct adverse effects after exposure to cell phone radiofrequency radiation.
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Favre, Daniel. April 2011. Mobile phone-induced honeybee worker piping
Link: https://www.jscimedcentral.com/Behavior/Articles/behavior-2-1010.pdf
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Excerpt: "The present data strongly suggest that honeybee colonies are affected and disturbed by electromagnetic waves (RF-EMF)."
Dect Phone Exposure:
Delays in Honeybees Return to the Hive
Grölle et al. performed experimental research using Dect cordless phones for irradiating honeybees. They observed that irradiated bees were far less able to come back to their hives within ordinary time frames.
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Colony Collapse Timeline Does Not Correlate with Pesticide Timeline
Although not discounting the possible role of pesticide use in contributing to declines in honeybees, biologist Cammaerts finds that radiofrequency radiation from wireless technologies could also impact hives. by locating these in a low EMF environment or placing them in a Faraday cage or enclosure. Colony Collapse Disorder started After the Use of Pesticides
Cammaerts: The onset of steep declines in bee populations does not line up with the onset of pesticide use; bee declines began much later. Similarly, the removal of insecticides has not resulted in a rise in bee populations as might have been expected.
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Cammaerts M (2017) Is electromagnetism one of the causes of the CCD? A work plan for testing this hypothesis. J Behav 2(1): 1006
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wifi and Bee Colony Collapse
In May, 2009, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service urged Congress to investigate the potential relationship between wireless devices and bee colony collapse.
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Additional References
Lupi et al (2021): Found that bees with exposure to both pesticides and electromagnetic fields were at increased risk of negative effects.
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Daniela Lupi, Marco Palamara Mesiano, Agnese Adani, Roberto Benocci, Roberto Giacchini, Paolo Parenti, Giovanni Zambon, Antonio Lavazza, Maria Beatrice Boniotti, Stefano Bassi, Mario Colombo, Paolo Tremolada. (2021) Combined Effects of Pesticides and Electromagnetic-Fields on Honeybees: Multi-Stress Exposure. Insects 12:8, p716.
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Sundar, Santhoshkumar. (2018). Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in Honey Bees Caused by EMF Radiation. Bioinformation. 14. 521-524. 10.6026/97320630014521.
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Pattazhy, Sainudeen. 2012. “Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) Clashes with Honeybees.” Journal of Entomology and Nematology 4(10): 1-3.
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Kumar et al (2011): Found that cell phone radiation influences honey bees’ behavior and physiology.
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Kumar, Neelima R., Sonika Sangwan, and Pooja Badotra. 2011. Exposure to Cell Phone Radiations Produces Biochemical Changes in Worker Honey Bees. Toxicology International 18(1): 70-72.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3052591/
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Pattazhy, Sainudeen. 2011. Impact of Electromagnetic Radiation on the Density of Honeybees: A Case Study. Saarbrücken, Germany: Lambert Academic.
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Pattazhy, Sainudeen. 2011. “Impact of Mobile Phones on the Density of Honey Bees.” Munis Entomology and Zoology 6(1): 396-99.
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Favre, Daniel. 2011. “Mobile Phone-induced Honeybee Worker Piping.” Apidologie 42: 270-79.
Sharma, Ved Parkash and Neelima R. Kumar. 2010. “Changes in Honeybee Behaviour and Biology under the Influence of Cellphone Radiations.” Current Science 98(10): 1376-78.
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Warnke, Ulrich. 2009. Published in English as: Bees, Birds and Mankind: Destroying Nature by “Electrosmog.” [Bienen, Vögel und Menschen: Die Zerstörung der Natur durch “Elektrosmog.”] Kempten, Germany: Kompetenzinitiative. https://www.bemri.org/publications/wildlife-and-plants/1-birds-bees-and-mankind/file.html
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Underwood, Robyn M. and Dennis van Engelsdorp. 2007. “Colony Collapse Disorder: Have We Seen This Before?” Bee Culture 35(7): 13-18.
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Harst et al. (2006): Found decreased rate of egg laying and reducing colony strength.
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Svensson, Börje. 2003. “Silent Spring in Northern Europe?” Bees for Development Journal 71: 3-4.
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Westerdahl, B. B. and N. E. Gary. 1981. “Flight, Orientation, and Homing Abilities of Honeybees Following Exposure to 2.45-GHz CW Microwaves. Bioelectromagnetics 2: 71-75.
Other Insects
Alfonso Balmori, 2021. Electromagnetic radiation as an emerging driver factor for the decline of insects. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720384461
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Marie-Claire Cammaerts & Olle Johansson, 2014. Ants can be used as bio-indicators to reveal biological effects of electromagnetic waves from some wireless apparatus, Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, 33:4, 282-288. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/15368378.2013.817336?src=recsys
Media and Headlines
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CNN, June 2010: Study links bee decline to cell phones. by Herriman, Sasha.
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The Atlantic, June 2010, If Cell Phones Are Behind the Bee Decline, What Are They Doing to Humans? by Chokshi, Niraj.
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“In a study at Panjab University in Chandigarh, northern India, researchers fitted cell phones to a hive and powered them up for two fifteen-minute periods each day. After three months, they found the bees stopped producing honey, egg production by the queen bee halved, and the size of the hive dramatically reduced.”
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“Andrew Goldsworthy, a biologist from Imperial College, London, told CNN that the reason may have to do with radiation from cell phones and cell towers disturbing the molecules of the chemical cryptochrome, which bees and other animals use for navigation. The “other animals” part there is key: it includes humans.”
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Daily Mail, 2011: Why a mobile phone ring may make bees buzz off: Insects infuriated by handset signals. By Derbyshire, David.
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Describes research conducted by Dr. Favre, a retired biologist with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
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Dr. Favre stated: ‘This study shows that the presence of an active mobile phone disturbs bees – and has a dramatic effect.’
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Two mobile phones were placed under a beehive, and recordings were made of the high pitched calls made by the bees. Three sets of recordings were made: (1) when the handsets were switched off, (2) when they were placed on stand-by mode, and (3) when the handsets were activated. Approximately 20 to 40 minutes after the phones were activated, the bees began to emit “piping” calls – a series of high pitched squeaks that announce possible danger and preparation for swarming.
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AFP (Agence France Presse) / Barron’s, September 17, 2020: Mobile Phone Radiation May Be Killing Insects: German Study
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Fox News, 2011: Cell Phones Caused Mysterious Worldwide Bee Deaths, Study Finds.