The abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops is a significant subject of recent study. One theory points to the development of telecommunications technology and an increasing number of electromagnetic field sources as a possible cause of the phenomenon.This paper presents the results of preliminary studies of honeybee exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (50 Hz; 1 mT, 7 mT)
Słowa kluczowe: electromagnetic fields, honeybee, colony collapse disorder, behaviour change
Abstract
Nagłe znikanie pszczół, które zapylają uprawy, jest jednym z istotnych tematów ostatnich badań. Jedna z teorii wskazuje na rozwój telekomunikacji i zwiększenie liczby źródeł pola elektromagnetycznego jako możliwą przyczynę tego zjawiska. Artykuł prezentuje wyniki wstępnych badań nad ekspozycję pszczół miodnych na pole elektromagnetyczne o wyjątkowo niskiej częstotliwości (50 Hz; 1 mT 7 mT)
Keywords: pola elektromagnetyczne, pszczoła miodna, zespół masowego ginięcia pszczoły miodnej, zmiany w zachowaniu
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are the most important pollinators of many agricultural crops worldwide. The abrupt decline in pollinator abundance and diversity is not only a conservation issue but also a threat to crop pollination. This problem is one of the most popular among recently conducted studies. Theories involving mites, pesticides, global warming, and genetically modified crops, have been proposed, but all have drawbacks. Another possible cause of that phenomenon is the development of telecommunications technology and the increasing number of electromagnetic field sources [1-4]. It is assumed the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) interfere with bees' navigation systems, preventing the home-loving species from finding their way back to their hives. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers. The vanished bees are never found but are thought to die singly, far from home [2]. As with many other eusocial animals, honeybees have a fascinating ability to sense the Earth magnetic field and use it for the spatial orientation. The presence of organized magnetic nanoparticles in bee bodies is well documented and indicated as a possible magnetic detector [5-14]. Magnetoreception is applied by bees, during their waggle dances [15]. This kind of communicative dance is performed by bees in the hive’s interior, in complete darkness, to inform other workers about potential food sources. In swarming colonies, dances provide information regarding the new nest location, and when to move in. The honeybees have a sensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic field poles and lines, and they use the information about the location and orientation of the hive entrance relative to the direction of the EMF force lines. Many experimental data confirm a spatial orientation loss and behavioural disturbances in the honeybee colonies, whose location and [...]
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