Is electromagnetism one of the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder? A work plan for testing this hypothesis
Abstract
Overview
The significant and unexplained decline of domestic bee populations globally poses a complex challenge to scientists and beekeepers alike. This abstract summarizes the study's approach to investigating electromagnetic fields (EMFs) as a potential factor in this decline.
Threats to Bees
- Usage of pesticides and insecticides.
- Decrease in plant diversity.
- Presence of bee parasites.
Potential Electromagnetic Impact
This study particularly highlights the little-considered threat of manmade electromagnetism created by human settlements, cellphone relays, and power lines, which have exponentially increased in recent times. Given that bees exhibit high sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, this warrants a focused investigation.
Proposed Experiments
The paper proposes two experimental protocols:
- Observation of bees’ behavior around wireless devices.
- Assessment of the health of bee colonies in relation to the intensity of surrounding EMF.
Expected Outcomes
If bees demonstrably avoid wireless devices and unhealthy hives correlate with high-intensity EMF areas, it could strongly support the hypothesis that manmade electromagnetism negatively impacts bee health. This finding could drive the search for mitigation strategies.