Weak anthropogenic electric fields affect honeybee foraging

Abstract

Category: Ecology Tags: electromagnetic fields, honeybees, pollination, electric pollution, foraging behavior, AC fields, DC fields DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112550 URL: cell.com 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.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

Weak anthropogenic-like electric fields reduced honeybee floral landing rates. Both AC and positive DC fields deterred landings (reported reductions 71% and 53%, respectively), while negative DC fields showed no statistically significant effect. Experimentally measured electric fields near high-voltage power lines matched those that affected bees and extended across tens of meters at foraging-relevant heights.

Outcomes measured

• floral landing rates
• landing/foraging behavior
• plant-pollinator interactions (pollination efficiency; inferred as potential impact)

Limitations

• Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata
• Exposure metrics (field strength values, exact frequencies for AC, and exposure duration) not provided in the provided abstract/metadata
• Details on experimental design, controls, and statistical methods not provided in the provided abstract/metadata

Suggested hubs

• occupational-exposure (0.2)
  Mentions high-voltage power lines as a real-world source of electric fields; relevance is environmental/near-infrastructure rather than occupational, so low weight.

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        "band": null,
        "source": "high-voltage power lines (anthropogenic electric fields)",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": "Honeybees",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "floral landing rates",
        "landing/foraging behavior",
        "plant-pollinator interactions (pollination efficiency; inferred as potential impact)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Weak anthropogenic-like electric fields reduced honeybee floral landing rates. Both AC and positive DC fields deterred landings (reported reductions 71% and 53%, respectively), while negative DC fields showed no statistically significant effect. Experimentally measured electric fields near high-voltage power lines matched those that affected bees and extended across tens of meters at foraging-relevant heights.",
    "effect_direction": "mixed",
    "limitations": [
        "Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata",
        "Exposure metrics (field strength values, exact frequencies for AC, and exposure duration) not provided in the provided abstract/metadata",
        "Details on experimental design, controls, and statistical methods not provided in the provided abstract/metadata"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "electric fields",
        "anthropogenic electric fields",
        "electric pollution",
        "honeybees",
        "foraging behavior",
        "floral landing",
        "AC fields",
        "DC fields",
        "power lines",
        "pollination"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "occupational-exposure",
            "weight": 0.200000000000000011102230246251565404236316680908203125,
            "reason": "Mentions high-voltage power lines as a real-world source of electric fields; relevance is environmental/near-infrastructure rather than occupational, so low weight."
        }
    ]
}

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