HONEYBEES’ BEHAVIOUR IN A FARADAY-SHIELDED HIVE : MANDATORY SCHUMANN RESONANCE FOR COLONY SURVIVAL

Authors

  • Daniel Favre A.R.R.A., P.O. box 138, CH-1860 Aigle, Switzerland
  • Olle Johansson Associate Professor, Retired from the Karolinska Institute (In Nov 2017, Still Active), Department of Neuroscience, Head of the Experimental Dermatology Unit, Stockholm, Sweden, and Adjunct Professor, Previously at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i4.2025.6023

Keywords:

Honeybees, RF-EMF, Anthropogenic Electrosmog, Faraday Hive, Shielding, Earth’ Schumann Resonance

Abstract [English]

Research shows that low-level anthropogenic electromagnetic fields negatively impact various species in their behaviour, affecting orientation, migration, foraging, reproduction, nesting, territorial defense, vitality, and survival. Many insects, like honeybees, rely on Earth's electromagnetic fields for orientation and foraging. The honeybees react negatively to anthropogenic multi-frequency interference through multi-sensory mechanisms. In order to circumvent the potentially negative effects of external electromagnetic influence, the honeybees were kept in Faraday hives. Placing honeybees in such Faraday-shielded cages, which block external electromagnetic fields, effectively isolates them from natural electromagnetic frequencies. However, the long-term survival of the honeybees in such Faraday hives was only possible with the artificial re-introduction of the Earth's natural electromagnetic environment, the Schumann resonance. Honeybees placed in Faraday cages without access to the Schumann resonance experience a range of effects, including physiological impairments to the queen of the honeybees’ colony, which stops laying fertilized eggs. This is leading to the collapse of the colony, which is finally containing only immature female workers and drones. These findings highlight the significance of natural electromagnetic fields in maintaining homeostasis and normal biological functions of honeybees.  Further research is needed to explore factors like electromagnetic radiation affecting honeybee physiology and behaviour. The combined effect of multiple stressors, interacting across space and time, likely plays a central role in the global decline of honeybee health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Olle Johansson, Associate Professor, Retired from the Karolinska Institute (In Nov 2017, Still Active), Department of Neuroscience, Head of the Experimental Dermatology Unit, Stockholm, Sweden, and Adjunct Professor, Previously at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Curriculum vitae found here :

https://www.radiationresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/olle_johansson.pdf

References

Bandara, P., & Carpenter, D. O. (2018). Planetary Electromagnetic Pollution: It is Time to Assess its Impact. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2 (12), e512-e514. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30221-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30221-3

Brown, M. J., Dicks, L. V., Paxton, R. J., Baldock, K. C., Barron, A. B., Chauzat, M. P., ... Stout, J. C. (2016). A Horizon Scan of Future Threats and Opportunities for Pollinators and Pollination. PeerJ, 4, e2249. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2249 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2249

Celozzi, S., Araneo, R., Burghignoli, P., & Lovat, G. (2023). Electromagnetic Shielding: Theory and Applications. Wiley. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119736318

Charrière, J. D., Imdorf, A., Kuhn, R., & Liebefeld-Posieux, A. (2004). Tolérance Pour Les Abeilles De Différents Traitements Hivernaux Contre Varroa.

Cucurachi, S., Tamis, W. L., Vijver, M. G., Peijnenburg, W. J., Bolte, J. F., & de Snoo, G. R. (2013). A Review of the Ecological Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMF). Environment International, 51, 116-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.10.009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.10.009

Decourtye, A., Alaux, C., Le Conte, Y., & Henry, M. (2019). Toward the Protection of Bees and Pollination Under Global Change: Present and Future Perspectives in a Challenging Applied Science. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 35, 123-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.008

Faraday, M. (1832). Experimental Researches in Electricity - Volume 1. Read Books Limited.

Favre, D. (2011). Mobile Phone-Induced Honeybee Worker Piping. Apidologie, 42 (3), 270-279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-011-0016-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-011-0016-x

Favre, D. (2017). Disturbing Honeybees’ Behavior with Electromagnetic Waves: A Methodology. Journal of Behavior, 2 (2), Article 1010.

Favre, D., & Johansson, O. (2020). Does Enhanced Electromagnetic Radiation Disturb Honeybees’ Behaviour? Observations During New Year’s Eve 2019. International Journal Of Research, 8, 7-14. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v8.i11.2020.2151 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v8.i11.2020.2151

Febinger, H. Y., George, A., Priestley, J., Toth, L. A., & Opp, M. R. (2014). Effects of Housing Condition and Cage Change on Characteristics of Sleep in Mice. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, 53 (1), 29-37.

Fleischmann, P. N., Grob, R., & Rössler, W. (2020). Magnetoreception in Hymenoptera: Importance for Navigation. Animal Cognition, 23 (6), 1051-1061. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01431-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01431-x

Genersch, E. (2010). Honey Bee Pathology: Current Threats to Honey Bees and Beekeeping. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 87 (1), 87-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2573-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2573-8

Halabi, N., Achkar, R., & Haidar, G. A. (2013). The Effect of Cell Phone Radiations on the Life Cycle of Honeybees. Eurocon 2013, 529-536. https://doi.org/10.1109/EUROCON.2013.6625032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/EUROCON.2013.6625032

Hore, P. J., & Mouritsen, H. (2016). The Radical-Pair Mechanism of Magnetoreception. Annual Review of Biophysics, 45, 299-344. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biophys-032116-094545 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biophys-032116-094545

Hsu, C. Y., Ko, F. Y., Li, C. W., Fann, K., & Lue, J. T. (2007). Magnetoreception System in Honeybees (Apis mellifera). PLOS ONE, 2 (4), e395. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000395 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000395

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). (2020). Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz). Health Physics, 118 (5), 483-524. https://doi.org/10.1097/hp.0000000000001210 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001210

Kirschvink, J. L. (1981). The Horizontal Magnetic Dance of the Honeybee is Compatible with a Single-Domain Ferromagnetic Magnetoreceptor. Biosystems, 14 (2), 193-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/0303-2647(81)90068-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0303-2647(81)90068-X

Lambinet, V., Hayden, M. E., Reid, C., & Gries, G. (2017). Honey Bees Possess a Polarity-Sensitive Magnetoreceptor. Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, 203 (12), 1029-1036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-017-1214-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-017-1214-4

Lambinet, V., Hayden, M. E., Reigl, K., Gomis, S., & Gries, G. (2017). Linking Magnetite in the Abdomen of Honey Bees to a Magnetoreceptive Function. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284 (1851). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2873 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2873

Levitt, B. B., Lai, H. C., & Manville, A. M. (2022). Effects of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Fields on Flora and Fauna, Part 2 impacts: How Species Interact with Natural and Man-Made EMF. Reviews on Environmental Health, 37 (3), 327-406. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0050 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0050

Lindauer, M., & Martin, H. (1968). Die Schwereorientierung Der Bienen Unter Dem Einfluß Des Erdmagnetfeldes. Zeitschrift Für Vergleichende Physiologie, 60 (3), 219-243. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298600 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298600

Migdał, P., Berbeć, E., Bieńkowski, P., Plotnik, M., Murawska, A., & Latarowski, K. (2022). Exposure to Magnetic Fields Changes the Behavioral Pattern in Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) Under Laboratory Conditions. Animals, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070855 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070855

Molina‐Montenegro, M., Acuña‐Rodríguez, I., Ballesteros, G., Baldelomar, M., Torres‐Díaz, C., Broitman, B., & Vázquez, D. (2023). Electromagnetic Fields Disrupt the Pollination Service by Honeybees. Science Advances, 9. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh1455 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh1455

Morrison, J. (2014). Electronics' Noise Disorients Migratory Birds. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2014.15176 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2014.15176

Morrison, R. (2016). Grounding and Shielding: Circuits and Interference. Wiley. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119183723

Nickolaenko, A., & Hayakawa, M. (2014). Schumann Resonance for tyros: Essentials of Global Electromagnetic Resonance in the Earth–Ionosphere Cavity. Springer Japan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54358-9_1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54358-9

Ohmura, N., Ogino, S., & Okano, Y. (2014). Optimized Shielding Pattern of RF Faraday Cage. 2014 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Tokyo, 765-768.

Panagopoulos, D. J. (2013). Electromagnetic Interaction Between Environmental Fields and Living Systems Determines Health and Well-Being. In Electromagnetic Fields: Principles, Engineering Applications and Biophysical Effects (1st ed., pp. 87-130). Nova Science Publishers.

Panagopoulos, D. J., & Chrousos, G. P. (2019). Shielding Methods and Products Against Man-Made Electromagnetic Fields: Protection Versus Risk. Science of the Total Environment, 667, 255-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.344 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.344

Patsnap, E. B. (2024). Schumann Resonance Generator: Harnessing Earth’s Frequency. Patsnap Eureka.

Ramo, S., Whinnery, J. R., & Van Duzer, T. (1994). Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics. Wiley.

Rouleau, N., & Dotta, B. T. (2014). Electromagnetic Fields as Structure-Function Zeitgebers in Biological Systems: Environmental Orchestrations of Morphogenesis and Consciousness. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 8, 84. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2014.00084 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2014.00084

Schumann, W. O. (1952). Über Die Strahlungslosen Eigenschwingungen Einer Leitenden Kugel, Die Von Einer Luftschicht Und Einer Ionosphärenhülle Umgeben Ist. Zeitschrift Für Naturforschung A, 7 (2), 149-154. https://doi.org/10.1515/zna-1952-0202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/zna-1952-0202

Sentman, D. D. (2017). Schumann resonances. In Handbook of Atmospheric Electrodynamics, Volume I (Pp. 267-295). Crc Press.

Shaw, J. A., Boyd, A., House, M., Cowin, G., & Baer, B. (2018). Multi-Modal Imaging and Analysis in the Search for Iron-Based Magnetoreceptors in the Honeybee Apis Mellifera. Royal Society Open Science, 5 (9), 181163. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181163 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181163

Vanbergen, A. J., Potts, S. G., Vian, A., Malkemper, E. P., Young, J., & Tscheulin, T. (2019). Risk to Pollinators from Anthropogenic Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR): Evidence and knowledge gaps. Science of the Total Environment, 695, 133833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133833 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133833

Vanengelsdorp, D., Evans, J. D., Saegerman, C., Mullin, C., Haubruge, E., Nguyen, B. K., ... Pettis, J. S. (2009). Colony Collapse Disorder: A Descriptive Study. PLOS ONE, 4 (8), e6481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006481 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0006481

Válková, T., & Vácha, M. (2012). How do Honeybees use their Magnetic Compass? Can they see the North? Bulletin of Entomological Research, 102 (4), 461-467. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485311000824 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485311000824

Watson, K., & Stallins, J. A. (2016). Honey Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder: A Pluralistic Reframing. Geography Compass, 10 (5), 222-236. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12266 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12266

Wever, R. (1970). The Effects of Electric Fields on Circadian Rhythmicity in Men. Life Sciences and Space Research, 8, 177-187.

Downloads

Published

2025-04-30

How to Cite

Favre, D., & Johansson, O. (2025). HONEYBEES’ BEHAVIOUR IN A FARADAY-SHIELDED HIVE : MANDATORY SCHUMANN RESONANCE FOR COLONY SURVIVAL. International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 13(4), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i4.2025.6023