Are Cell Phones Killing Off Bees?

photo credit: Cell Phones Killing Bees?

A new study out of India says that cell phone radiation is decimating the world bee population. While this may seem trivial to you, a huge portion of our food supply is dependent on pollination provided by bees. The study suggests that electropollution is killing the bees since these insects have magnetite (the most strongly magnetic mineral in nature) in their bodies which helps them in navigation. The research report, published in the journal Current Science, was authored by Ved Parkash Sharma and Neelima Kumar of Punjab University.

Are Cell Phones Killing Off Bees?

The jury from the scientific community is out on this theory. Tim Lovett, of the British Beekeepers Association, is quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph newspaper that beehives have been successful in London where cell phone use is high. Vancouver just unveiled two hives atop the east annex of city hall, marking the first official Day of the Honey Bees. It’s part of Mayor Gregor Robertson’s drive to make Vancouver the greenest city on the planet by 2020. Seems like big cities would have more cell phone radiation affecting the bees than rural areas, and yet the bees thrive in those 2 cities.

Honey bees are like the proverbial canaries of the coal mines. Vancouver city beekeeper Christian Duhme, who heads the biology department at St. George’s School, says the health of their colonies is an indication of the overall health of our global food supply. Duhme says our food supply is being seriously compromised by so-called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The cause of CCD is a combination of things. Duhme pointed out that the destruction of the bees had been blamed on everything from mites to viruses and pesticides. “It’s kind of a perfect storm for these guys,” Duhne says. Duhne doubts the study results from India however, that cell phones are killing off the hives.

Do you think cell phone electropollution is responsible for killing the bees? Is it global warming, (the universal scape goat) that is changing the environment so bees are dying? Are bees this age’s dinosaurs? So what’s your take?