Introduction
This study has the objective of examining the colony collapse disorder in honeybees. There have been extremely high losses of bee colonies over the past few years, which have come to be termed as ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ or CCD. Some beekeepers reported having lost between 50% and 90% of their colonies and this can happen in just a matter of a few weeks. The colonies that collapse are reported to “appear healthy just weeks prior to collapse. However, the adult bees soon disappear’ from the colonies leaving behind a box full of honey, pollen, capped brood, a queen and maybe a few worker bees”. (Ellis, 2013, p. 10) There are no dead bees in the colony or on the ground near the colony but instead the adult bees simply disappear.
I. Symptoms
The Symptoms of CCD are reported to include for collapse colonies a complete absence of adult bees, capped brood and food stores that have not been robbed by pests to colonies. (Ellis, 2013, p.1) Collapsing bee colonies are characterized by a lack of sufficient bees to maintain the brood, a workforce composed of mostly younger adult bees, the queen is present in the colony, and there is a hesitation on the part of the cluster to consume food that the beekeeper provides to them. (Ellis, 2013, p.1)
II. Causes
The causes of CCD are not yet known or at least not widely acknowledged. The situation has been under investigation for quite a few years and blamed for CCD are such as traditional pests to bees and diseases, honeybee management practices, lack of genetic diversity among bees, chemical use in colonies, chemical toxins in the environment, crops that are genetically modified, varroa mites and pathogens, nutrition, pest and diseases not yet discovered, and synergisms between the stressors when combined. (Ellis, 2013, p.1) What has not been widely acknowledged is the sensitivity that bees have to electrical and electromagnetic frequencies and the emission of electromagnetic frequencies by cell phone towers.
III. Impact of CCD
The impact of CCD cannot be underestimated since mankind is dependent on bees to pollinate crops therefore, the seriousness of CCD to honeybees becomes even more serious to human beings in light of the fact that without honeybees, there is no pollination, and without pollination, there will be no crops to produce.
IV. The Research
Bramhall (2013) reports that ‘The Schumann Resonance: Beings of Frequency” produced by Federal Jack.com is an informative, well-researched film about the growing number of health and environmental problemse linked to cell phones, wi-fi, and cell phone masts”. (p. 1) Schumann resonances is reported to be named after German physicist Winfried Schumann, is a terms referring to the natural low frequency electromagnetic radiation that the Earth emits. It is stated that the physics that are relevant include: (1) that the microwaves produced by cell phone and cell phone masts are a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves; (2) EMR are intermingled electric and magnetic fields that travel as waves; and (3) all life forms product EMR. (Bramhall, 2013, p.1) The presence or life, or alternatively the absence of life is measured in humans by their ability to give of EMR when the EEG flat lines (EEG measures brain EMR) the person is pronounced brain dead. When the EKG (measures heart emitted EMR) flat lines, the patient is completely dead. Honeybees use their cells containing magnetite to navigate the magnetic fields of the earth going to and from their hive.
When they are directly exposed to microwave radiation, their ability to detect these fields is disrupted and thus, their hives are abandoned because they simply cannot find their way back to the hive. There are reports on pesticides and other possible causes as mentioned earlier in this study however, pests and diseases have always been present on the earth yet honeybees have existed for untold centuries and millenniums without ever having been unable to find their way home appearing to have abandoned their colonies causing CCD. No other explanation offers the most convincing proof of what is affecting honeybee colonies as does the explanation offered by Swiss and German scientists and in the form of a diagnosis of electromagnetic frequency interference with honeybee navigation. It is reported that the cell phone towers and cell masts emit a frequency that is believed by some scientists to be the potential cause of many types of cancers in human beings. (Bramhall, 2013, paraphrased) According to the study reported by Sainudeen (2011)
“Bees and other insects have survived and evolved complex immune systems on this planet over a span of millions of years. It is not logical that they would now suddenly die out now due to diseases and natural parasites. This suggests another factor has been introduced to their environment that disrupts their immune system. This man made factor is the mobile towers and mobile phones. The public is not being informed of the threat due to deliberate attempts on the part of mobile phone makers to mask the direct causal relationship”. (p. 1)
V. Remediation Efforts
According to one report, a scientist in Israel has discovered a treatment that he claims can save bee colonies. However, addressed by Sela is a cure having to do with the IAPV virus, which has not been empirically proven to be the cause of CCD. Other remediation efforts are just as obscure in terms of formulation of remediation on empirical science being lacking in the efforts to cure CCD.
VI. Discussion
It is unclear why American news and journalists are so reluctant to report the findings of the studies conducted by Swiss and German scientists and physicists. Perhaps it is simply the importance that cell phones hold in the lives of the American public in today’s very busy and highly technologically enabled and connected society and to acknowledge cell phones and cell masts as the problem with honeybees is simply too inconvenient because to do so would require change.
VII. Conclusion
It is certain that electromagnetic frequency interference with honeybee colonies survival will become more important in the future than cell phone technology and for one simple reason: eating a cell phone for dinner is not appetizing, nutritious, nor will it sustain the person’s need for food. It is time that American science quit trying to explain away the impact of cell phones and cell masts on honeybee colonies, not only for the sake of the bees and the nation’s food supplies but as well for the medical problems that the emission of EMR must be causing the human population as well.