What is the reason behind bees not pollinating flowers near power lines?

Power Lines Disrupt Bee Navigation and Pollination

A group of Chilean and Argentine ecologists led by Marco Molina Montenegro, a professor at Talca University, have discovered that electromagnetic fields emitted from power lines seriously interfere with the navigation systems of bees.

Impact on Pollination and Plant Diversity

When bees are subjected to these electromagnetic fields, it causes cellular stress in their body, which hampers their ability to pollinate flowers. According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers found that the cellular stress protein Hsp70, found in the bodies of bees, increases twice as much when insects are exposed to power lines at a distance of 10-25 meters compared to those at 200-300 meters. Bees that grow up near power lines are also three times less able to collect nectar and pollinate flowers. This negatively affects plant diversity and increases the chances of bee death and the extinction of entire hives, according to the researchers.

Study Observations

The researchers observed the interactions between bees and flowers near power lines in the Chilean village of Kinawameda. They studied how electromagnetic fields alter levels of stress hormones in insects and how their behavior changes when exposed to magnetic fields created by power lines turned on and off. The results suggest that power lines are causing significant harm to honeybees.

Factors Contributing to Bee Extinction

In recent years, environmentalists and biologists have noted rapid declines in numbers of hive and wild bees as well as bumblebees. The reasons for their extinction are unknown, but global warming, emergence of new diseases, and parasites, including mites of the genus Varroa, the DWV virus, and colony collapse syndrome, in which worker bees leave their hives in bulk, are suspected contributors.

In Conclusion

The study by Chilean and Argentine ecologists highlights the importance of identifying the factors that contribute to bee extinction, including the negative effects of electromagnetic fields from power lines. Steps must be taken to protect and preserve honeybees and other pollinators that are critical to maintaining the fragile ecosystem that sustains life on Earth.

Source: TASS

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