Effects of high-voltage transmission lines on honey bees

Abstract

When shielded and exposed colonies were placed at incremental distances at a right angle from a 760-kV transmission line different thresholds for biologic effects were obtained. Hive exposures were controlled (E-field: 7, 5.5, 4.1, 1.8, and 0.65 to 0.85 kV/m) by variable height current collectors; shielded hives under the line behave normally. Exposure to 7 kV/m can produce the following sequence of events: (1) increased motor activity and transient hive temperature increase; (2) abnormal propolization; (3) retarded hive weight gain; (4) excess queen cell production with queen loss; (5) reduction of sealed brood area; and (6) poor winter survival. No biological effects were detected below 4.1 kV/m, thus the ''biological effects corridor'' is limited to approximately 23 m beyond a ground projection of each outer phase wire. Hive architecture enhances E-fields and creates shock hazards for bees. Intra-hive E-fields (15 to 100+ kV/m) were measured with a displacement current sensor and fiber optic telemetry link. Step-potential-induced currents up to 0.5 uA were measured with a bee model in hives at 7 kV/m. To investigate further the role of shock versus electric field exposure the study was continued to develop hive entrance extensions (porches), which produce controlled bee exposure to E-fieldmore » or shock, and to test the feasibility of using these porches in such a study. Biological effects (e.g., abnormal propolization, retarded hive weight, queen loss) found in colonies with total-hive exposure were produced by entrance-only exposure of adult bees. We now have an exposure system in which E-field and shock can be separately controlled to reproduce the biological effects. 10 refs.« less