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Shepherd S, Hollands G, Godley VC, Sharkh SM, Jackson CW, Newland PL

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Authors not listed · 2019

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Power line EMFs impair honey bee learning and increase aggression, potentially contributing to pollinator decline.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed honey bees to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) at levels found near power lines for 17 hours. The EMF exposure reduced the bees' ability to learn from negative experiences by over 20% and increased aggressive behavior by 60%. These changes could impair bees' ability to respond appropriately to threats and environmental dangers.

Why This Matters

This study reveals another troubling dimension of how our electromagnetic environment affects wildlife. The reality is that honey bees near power lines encounter these exact EMF levels in nature, making this research particularly relevant to ongoing bee population declines. When you consider that bees already face multiple stressors from pesticides to habitat loss, adding electromagnetic interference to their cognitive and behavioral systems creates yet another burden on these critical pollinators. What makes this research especially concerning is that the behavioral changes observed could cascade through entire colonies. Bees that can't learn properly from threats or that become overly aggressive may struggle to maintain the complex social cooperation that hives depend on for survival.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (2019). Shepherd S, Hollands G, Godley VC, Sharkh SM, Jackson CW, Newland PL.
Show BibTeX
@article{shepherd_s_hollands_g_godley_vc_sharkh_sm_jackson_cw_newland_pl_ce4891,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {Shepherd S, Hollands G, Godley VC, Sharkh SM, Jackson CW, Newland PL},
  year = {2019},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0223614},
  
}
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223614PubMed: 31600283

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, exposure to 100 μT ELF EMFs (typical near power lines) increased honey bee aggression by 60% toward intruder bees from foreign hives, potentially disrupting normal colony interactions.
Both 100 μT and 1000 μT ELF EMF exposure reduced honey bees' aversive learning performance by over 20%, impairing their ability to learn from negative experiences and threats.
Just 17 hours of ELF EMF exposure was sufficient to significantly impair honey bee cognitive function and increase aggressive behavior in laboratory testing conditions.
Yes, field-realistic EMF levels of 100-1000 μT that bees encounter near power lines caused measurable behavioral and learning impairments in this controlled study.
The study suggests EMF-induced learning deficits and increased aggression could impair bees' responses to environmental threats, potentially contributing to broader ecological pressures on bee populations.