Mobile phones cause decline in honeybee population in State: Study

A sharp decline in the population of honeybees has been noticed in the state mainly because of the electro-magnetic radiation from the mobile phone towers. An experimental study conducted by Dr.Sainudeen Pattazhi, environmentalists and Reader in Zoology at the SN College, Punalur, has noticed that the massive amount of radiation produced by mobile phones and their towers is adversly affecting the navigational skills of the honeybees and preventing them from returning back to their hives. This has resulted in the Colony Collapse Disorder. In one of the experiements, Dr.Pattazhi had placed a mobile device only 10 metres away from the hives for 5 to 10 days. After a few days, it was noticed that the worker bees failed to return to the hives were left with queens, eggs and hives-bound immature worker bees only. Apiculture has developed as an important industry in India. Honey and bee-wax are the two useful products. The honeybees also do a great service in pollinating flowers, Beekeeping is worthwhile from the monetary point of view as honey and wax fetch revenue. In a bee colony of an average size, there may be around 20,000 to 31,000 bees consisting normally of a queen and a few hundred drones. Ninety percent of a population is made up of the workers. There is around 60 percent decline in the commercial bee population in the State. In Kerala there are around 6 lakh beehives and over a lakh of people are engaged in apiculture. A single hive may yield 4-5 kg of honey. Although the bees are susceptible to diseases and are attacked by enemies such as wasps, ants and wax moth, constant vigil on the part of bee-keepers could check these adverse conditions. Bees abd other insects have survived and evolved complex immune system on this planet over a span of millions of years. According to Pattazhi, it is the man-made factor which is disrupting their immune system now. Insects and other small animals are the first to be affected by the increase in ambient radiation as they have smaller bodies and less flesh. Radiation of 900Mhz is highly bioactive, causing significant alternation in the physiological function of living organisms. The behavioural patterns of bees were found much different when they are close to the mobile phones and towers. Bee keepers said that several hives were abruptly abandoned. In another experiment, Dr.Pattazhi found aluminium is capable of blocking microwave radiations. When the mobile phone wrapped in an aluminium foil it will not work.it may be possible for the beekeepers to protect their bee colonies to some extent from mobile phones and tower radiations with aluminium shielding. According to him, more research is essential for protecting the beehives from the electromagnetic exposure.
The New Indian Express, 11th August 2009