AbstractMechanisms to explain disturbance of honey bee colonies under a 765‐kV, 60‐Hz transmission line [electric (E) field = 7 kV/m] fall into two categories: direct bee perception of enhanced in‐hive E fields, and perception of shock from induced currents. The same adverse biological effects previously observed in honey bee colonies exposed under a 765‐kV transmission line can be reproduced by exposing worker bees to shock or E field within elongated hive entranceways (=tunnels). Exposure to intense E field caused disturbance only if bees were in contact with a conductive substrate. E‐field and shock exposure can be separated and precisely defined within tunnels, eliminating dosimetric vagaries that occur when entire hives are exposed t
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