Multi-stress conditions are considered the most putative cause of honeybee decline. The ongoing reduction of domestic and natural pollinators is considered a very severe signal of the current loss of biodiversity, and it requires a broad research effort to clarify the causes.
“In this research, the combined effects of two possible stress sources for bees, pesticides and electromagnetic fields (multi-stress conditions) were analyzed by a field trial.”
“Three experimental sites were chosen: a control one far from direct anthropogenic stress sources, a pesticide-stress site and multi-stress one, adding to the same exposure to pesticides the presence of an electromagnetic field, coming from a high-voltage electric line.”
“Results showed that bee health conditions were the worst in the multi-stress site with only one colony alive out of the four ones present at the beginning.”
“In detail, the mortality in the underbaskets appeared to be more related to the chemical-stress site while most of the behavioral alterations appeared only in the multi-stress one. Oveall, the loss of three out of four families in the multi-stress site confirmed the role of the multi-stress conditions as the mechanism able to cause the phenomena of hive depopulation (CCD).”
The full text of this study is available for free here.
Published Date: Aug 2021