Ellyn Paris 12/12/19

AP Biology Current Event 11

Fritts, Rachel. “Power Lines May Mess with Honeybees' Behavior and Ability to Learn.” Science News, 14 Nov. 2019, www.sciencenews.org/article/power-lines-may-mess-with-honeybees-learning-behavior.

In her article, Rachel Fritts discusses the issues bees are facing in regards to power lines. She begins by citing a study that exposed a group of bees to EMFs (electromagnetic fields), the fields that power lines emit. Sebastian Shepherd, an entomologist that partook in this study, found that the exposed subjects were “aggressive towards other bees” (Fritts, 1) and “slower to learn to respond to a new threat” (Fritts,1). These findings were connected to the recent loss of honeybee colonies. Scientists have found that a multitude of reasons are causing this species to decrease in quantity, and powerlines are one of the stressors that play a role in weakening bees are lowering their survival rate. Fritts cites another study in which bees were exposed to EMFs at different levels (measured in microteslas) for different lengths of time. The results were as expected: a bee’s capabilities and time of reaction when in a threatening position was altered negatively when the bees were exposed to high amounts of EMFs for a long time. In the end, the author touches upon the possible solutions, including an ecologist named Kimberly Russell’s idea of providing fields of accessible wildflowers to bees to reduce the stress put on them.

Bees are a crucial part of many ecosystems. The pollination services they provide are necessary to upkeep the health of our environment. Furthermore, as the article mentions, these insects provide “$15 billion in annual agricultural value” (Fritts, 1). Consequently, the state of their species’ wellbeing is more than important. The fact that honeybee colonies are seemingly disappearing is concerning and foreshadows a bleak future for our planet, as well as our agricultural market. Power lines are located almost everywhere in the United States. EMFs are not something that bees can avoid, therefore solutions such as the one Russell suggested are principal in conserving the existence of honeybees, and as a result, the welfare of our ecosystems. 

The article’s main strength was its use of studies to back up the conclusions being made. The author cited the people working on these studies and clearly outlined what each study was about and the findings that resulted from them. However, Fritts did not mention the importance of bees in an ecosystem. I believe to improve her article, the author should discuss the significance of bees. This would allow her to captivate the reader’s attention and make them realize the severity of the issues being discussed.