to 8 km away) to successfully return to the apiary (colony group) following exposure was tested. Successful return to the cology requires normal metabolic functions that yield flight energy, and the various neuromuscular functions that coordinate visual input and flight. In this study, 6,000 foraging bees were captured upon their return to their hives, labeled with individually numbered plastic "ID" tags, exposed in the laboratory and then released near their hives (see Figure 1 for details of experimental design). Although slightly fewer bees (4% or less) returned successfully to their colonies in the microwave than in the sham exposures, the differences were so small as to be statistically insignificant. The second study was designed to determine if 30 minute exposures to 5 microwave power densities would affect the survival and development of immature stages of honey bees. Three stages of honey bee brood (eggs, larvae and pupae) held within natural beeswax combs were utilized in this study, the experimental design of which is depicted in Figure 2. Analysis of the percentage of adult bees emerging following treatment did not yield any statistically significant differences between corresponding microwave and sham treatment groups although fewer microwave treated bees emerged following exposure of the egg stage. The third study, the results of which are still being analyzed, was conducted to determine the effects of microwave exposure on the survival and longevity of adult worker bees in glass walled observation colonies following treatment. In this study, a total of 3,000 individually identified bees (.550 from each of 5 colonies) were divided into 11 treatment groups (5 levels each of microwave and sham exposure and an additional in lab control group). A daily census of surviving bees was taken during 3 weeks following exposure. Chronic exposures at variable power densities (including power levels lower than those used in the studies previously described) are currently underway and should yield additional data in a few months time. In these studies bees are allowed freedom of movement that will permit detection of responses such as attraction, repulsion, or normal behavior during exposure to microwaves, Studies completed to date were restricted to tests for residual effects following short term microwave exposures. At this point there are no biologically significant differences that might indicate adverse or beneficial effects from exposures to radiation from Solar Power Satellites. However, there appears to be a very small difference between microwave treatments of adults and eggs and their respective shams that suggests the possibility of some type of electromagnetic effect acting on the more sensitive individuals within the population. If this is the case, longer exposures and dynamic behavioral assays (such as those depicted in Figures 3 and 4) should elucidate these effects.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==