High-Voltage EMFs from Data Center Infrastructure Stress Honeybees and Harm Ecosystems

Invisible magnetic and electric fields from data centers can cause negative health and environmental effects.

A May 2023 study titled “Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees” reveals that artificial electromagnetic fields from power lines and data centers severely stress bees. These forces disrupt the internal compass proteins honeybees use to navigate, ultimately harming their vital pollination work and damaging nearby plant life. Data centers, high-voltage substations, and power lines create powerful artificial magnetic fields. These fields alter gene functions inside honeybees. Bees use tiny internal compass proteins and Earth’s natural magnetic field to travel and forage. Therefore, damaged pollination services hurt local plants because honeybees are the top pollinators on Earth.

A study published in Science Advances demonstrates that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from high-voltage infrastructure cause physiological and behavioral stress in honeybees, impairing their navigation, reducing flower visits, and negatively impacting local plant communities. A data center is full of EMFs, which are man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and are an invisible area of energy created by human use of electricity and technology. According to Fortune Business Insights, “A hyperscale data center of that size, like in Menomonie,  requires a massive on-site substation and high-voltage transmission lines.” 

According to the National Honey Board, “Honey bees are responsible for pollinating about 80% of all insect-pollinated crops and flowering plants, which account for roughly one-third of the human diet.”

Honeybees travel far and wide to find food. They use tiny natural compasses in their bodies—made of special proteins and light-sensitive chemicals—to feel the Earth’s magnetic field. This helps them fly straight to flowers and safely back home. It also lets them feel natural magnetic shifts from storms and space, the study stated.

Bees communicate using complex dances, chemical scents called pheromones, and physical vibrations. A returning forager shares exact directions to food sources, while the queen and worker bees use scents and touch to manage the hive, warn of danger, and maintain colony order. 

In conclusion, electromagnetic fields from data center substations and cell towers impose severe physiological stress on honeybees. This stress alters their behavior and reduces flower visits, which ultimately harms plant reproduction and local biodiversity. Protecting these vital pollinators remains essential for the survival of global ecosystems.

Sources

National Honey Board: https://honey.com/bees-sustainability/honey-bees-pollination

Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh1455

Fortune Business Insights: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/data-center-substation-market-111347

Rachel Tilseth is a Menomonie, Wisconsin-based environmental writer, filmmaker, and owner of Wolves of Douglas County WI Films & Media. Lead writer at The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger. Her work explores the intricate relationships between humans, wildlife, and local ecosystems.

Jan O’Neill-editor at large. Jan edits the blog for grammatical accuracy and contributes story ideas.

Given Jan’s extensive 45-year nursing background, protecting the health and well-being of the Menomonie area has been her life’s work. With deep local roots in the Red Cedar River Watershed, she views environmental conservation as a natural extension of public health. Jan is dedicated to halting the proposed mega data center to preserve the community’s natural resources, advocating instead for sustainable, community-driven economic development that protects the long-term quality of our watershed.

The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger is based in Menomonie, Wisconsin, in the historic Red Cedar Basin.

Discover how our local economy can thrive without leaving the planet behind. We cover news and stories on sustainable economic development, highlighting initiatives that boost community prosperity, foster equity, and protect our local ecosystems.

We are producing a series of educational articles and interviews featuring city leaders, scientists, and residents to explore sustainable economic development in the region. What began as a grassroots effort by Menomonie residents to successfully pause a controversial data center has evolved into a broader mission championing environmentally conscious, community-driven economic growth.”

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