Weak anthropogenic electric fields affect honeybee foraging

Abstract

Overview

Aerial electroreception, or the detection of airborne electric fields (E-fields), is a recently recognized sensory system in arthropods such as bees. Bees utilize floral E-fields as foraging cues, but the potential impact of anthropogenic (human-made) E-fields on these critical interactions has been largely unexplored.

Findings

• 🌼 Weak anthropogenic-like electric fields reduce honeybee floral landing rates.
• ⚡ Both alternating current (AC) and positive direct current (DC) fields deter honeybee landings—with reductions of 71% and 53%, respectively.
• ➖ Negative DC fields show no statistically significant effect on honeybee landing behavior.
• 🏞️ Experimentally measured electric fields near high-voltage power lines match those that affected bees, extending across tens of meters at foraging-relevant heights.

Conclusion

These findings reveal an important link between electric pollution and the potential disruption of plant-pollinator interactions. The alteration of bee foraging by anthropogenic E-fields poses risks to pollination efficiency — threatening agriculture and biodiversity. The study urgently calls for more research on the ecological impacts of electric pollution.