Earth Changes

It's Official- Cell Phones are Killing Bees

Lori Zimmer
Inhabitat
Sat, 14 May 2011 09:59 UTC

Scientists may have found the cause of the world's sudden dwindling population of bees - and cell phones may be to blame. Research conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland has shown that the signal from cell phones not only confuses bees, but also may lead to their death. Over 83 experiments have yielded the same results. With virtually most of the population of the United States (and the rest of the world) owning cell phones, the impact has been greatly noticeable.

Led by researcher Daniel Favre, the alarming study found that bees reacted significantly to cell phones that were placed near or in hives in call-making mode. The bees sensed the signals transmitted when the phones rang, and emitted heavy buzzing noise during the calls. The calls act as an instinctive warning to leave the hive, but the frequency confuses the bees, causing them to fly erratically. The study found that the bees' buzzing noise increases ten times when a cell phone is ringing or making a call - aka when signals are being transmitted, but remained normal when not in use.

The signals cause the bees to become lost and disoriented. The impact has already been felt the world over, as the population of bees in the U.S. and the U.K. has decreased by almost half in the last thirty years - which coincides with the popularization and acceptance of cell phones as a personal device. Studies as far back as 2008 have found that bees are repelled by cell phone signals.

Bees are an integral and necessary part of our agricultural and ecological systems, producing honey, and more importantly pollinating our crops. As it is unlikely that the world will learn to forgo the convenience of cell phones, it is unclear how much they will contribute to the decline of bees, and their impact on the environment.

Reader Comments

thorbiorn · 2011-05-14T12:57:12Z

Would it surprise if more research is needed?

When I read the sentence "Over 83 experiments have yielded the same results." it read like a joke. How much research is needed to convince someone whose financial interest is involved? Quite a lot and we know this to have parallels in many other fields like the military and medical industrial complexes.

For the consolation of any shareholder in a mobile phone company or service provider the article ends on an optimistic note: "As it is unlikely that the world will learn to forgo the convenience of cell phones, it is unclear how much they will contribute to the decline of bees, and their impact on the environment"

Now what if the said effect of "the frequency confuses the bees" also applied to other beings, which unlike the bees are of no visible economic benefit and therefore do not get studied that much?

Or what if some of the people using cell phones also get confused and disoriented from exposure. Well then there is a better chance humanity will not get unconfused enough to do much about this problem any time soon - unfortunately.

Seeker · 2011-05-14T13:06:42Z

Confirmation of this long suspected instrumental cause will be ignored, smothered, discredited etc by the PTB. Billions invested and billions upon billions to be made globally in this technology cannot be stopped now – not by the bees, not by children developing brain cancers, not by the psychological disturbances and illnesses the EM smog is generating in people world wide, not for nothing. The only question remaining is who will goes extinct first – us or the bees?

Seeker · 2011-05-14T13:10:46Z

And here's one of the most recent 83 studies

Radiation from mobile (cell) phones could be the cause of the decline in populations of honeybees, a new study has found.

The radiation affects the bees’ behaviour and physiology, say researchers from Punjab University. The bees exposed to the radiation experienced a sudden rise in levels of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, possibly as a protective reaction, the researchers surmise.

Only the bees exposed to the radiation experienced the physiological changes.

(Source: Toxicology International, 2011; 18: 7072).

ChristineW · 2011-05-14T16:31:41Z

Official or not?

A very affirmative title contradicted by the first sentence with all it's "may's". Is it official and categorical, or MAY cell phones be the cause? I am not for cell phones at all, but would love to have serious and confirmed information, not just speculative conclusions.

mallee · 2011-05-14T17:58:15Z

The headline is to attract attention, and the ensuing prevarication is to attract further research funding? ;^)

Woodsman · 2011-05-14T18:57:35Z

Science reporting...

Science reporting is often questionable.

Read the study yourself...

[Link]

It's only 9 pages and quite easy to follow.

I went in with the question, "So, did they turn off the ringers first or were the phones upsetting the bees by suddenly blaring a loud 'Answer Me' noise or vibration?" Amazingly the study does not even mention this. I have to assume the researchers thought of this and considered it such an obvious detail that they didn't even bother to note that the phones were set to be silent, but in a scientific study, that still seems rather lax to me.

Nonetheless, it was apparent from reading the data that whether the phones rang or not was likely irrelevant, as several of the most profound effects were noted 25 minutes after a broadcast began, and ceased almost immediately when the broadcast was cut. Other tests involved handsets actively transmitting for hours at a time.

Kyussgreen · 2011-05-14T23:07:39Z

Honey Bees And Monsanto...

It Is A Fact That Honey Bees Are An Integral Part Of The Food Chain. With The Bee Population in Decline Doesn't It Make Sense For A Corporation Such As Monsanto To Take Control Of The Business Of Food? Without The Honey Bee We Would Surely See Worldwide Food Shortages And Mass Suffering, Fear Not, Monsanto Is Our New Honey Bee. Monsanto Will Patent Modified Seeds That No Longer Need The Pesky "Middle Man" That Is The Bee. Nobody Likes To Get Stung! And With Further Advances In Monsanto Technology Test Tube Honey And Test Tube Meat Will Be The Wave Of The Future. Enjoy The Newest Monsanto App On Your Cell Phone While Choking Down Monsanto Bars And Monsanto Drink. Forget About The Bees. Don't Look Up And Out To The Skies (Too Many Possibilities) Keep Your Heads Down, Keep Your Eyes On Your Cell Phone. The Only Buzzing In The Future Will Be Your Cell Phone Vibrating In The Pants Pocket, The Pants Tied Around Your Mal-Nourished Waste With A Crusty Old Rope, As You Wither Away From Monsanto Feed. Soylent Food, Its Made Of.... Something.

Seeker · 2011-05-15T09:10:10Z

Further Research into EM Cellular Disturbance

Vibrations, which occur rarely or not at all in nature, often have a pathogenic effect on biological control systems. Electrical and electromagnetic fields have a proven negative effect on the body. This is because our bodies control their bodies using tiny electrical impulses! At the 2nd International Conference on "Weak and Super-Weak Fields and Radiation in Biology and Medicine", which took place from 4th to 7th July 2000 in St Petersburg, the 330 research teams were presented with various findings, including work by the Institute of Cytology at the Russian Academy of Science (led by Prof. Jurij Vakhtin). This proved that living cells react to weak electromagnetic signals from outside and perceive them as specific "commands". This made it clear that it was not the field strength that makes the impact, but the cell biological information emitted by it. This "error" information was in effect until the death of the cell! "The discussion about limits for electromagnetic radiation is now only of historical interest," wrote the press after the publication of the research results. So the body reacts to electro-smog with "permanent stress". So it is no surprise that sleep problems, headaches, faintness, irritability, general ill health and worse can be attributed to it.

[Link]

System · 2011-05-16T11:47:13Z

This Article Needs Re-thinking

While in general I applaud anything which suspects humanity as a cause of Gaian degradation, this article implies a quick fix which doesn't likely exist by itself. What's more likely to have been a greater cause of the bees' decline? 1.) Long-term, consistent use of corporate agriculture and pesticides over many decades?, or 2.) An explosion of cell phone use in the last 10 years? When beekeeper of 35 years Tom Theobold was interviewed on Blue Planet Almanac radio (R.I.P.), he said our mangled method of dangerous agriculture was the first thing he noticed. Look him up in Colorado.

If your facts aren't consistently straight the first time out of your mouth, you'll find that over time people will tend to take what you say with a sack of salt. And that's not good for anyone.

So, to put this a different way, if we go looking only for the effects of cell phone radiation on bees as the problem, then you're guaranteed to overlook that our bodies and that of bees are sensitive to chemicals on a scale of parts per billion. The chemicals preceded researchers putting cell phones in and near hives by 50 years - and in massive, misunderstood quantities.

wytebear · 2011-05-16T11:53:05Z

Are you suggesting that the bees are dying suddenly, after decades of exposure to chemicals, because they've reached a "tipping point" of some sort? I'm more inclined to think that a sudden change in their environment, such as introduction of RF energy through cellphone and Wi-fi use, would correspond to a sudden change in their population.

System · 2011-05-17T02:02:25Z

Hey, wytebear:

I'm suggesting two things. First, that we ask the old-time smart beekeepers what they think. They do their work day-in and day-out, decade after decade. Tom Theobald, for example, has taken on the EPA about chlothianidin and other pesticides, and arrested their attention.

And second, use our heads. Does it make more sense that decades of pesticide *abuse* finally caused a tipping point? This wouldn't be the first time. DDT was among the first we noticed; it doesn't matter that it was banned from use. The very day I started my environmental radio show, I stopped near the studio to grab a snack before going on the air. On the front page of the beach cities newspaper was an article discussing research showing that marine mammals still had dangerously high levels of DDT breakdown products in their bodies. Several decades after DDT was banned from production and use.

Or does it make more sense that decades of pesticide *abuse* coupled with other critical factors such as mites, viruses and cell phone radiation caused a 'tipping point?' There won't likely be one simple answer.

But the right answer's crucial, because there's literally no time left. Inclinations won't solve the problem, but only lead us in the right direction with decent science. And the only way to solve the problem is by asking the right questions.