# Electricity and the Hive



## MIbeekeeper (Jun 28, 2010)

I made this measurement at one of my hives. Since a current can induce a new current or interfere with an existing current, do you suppose this current flowing through the hive could affect the electrical flow in the nerves of the bees inside. At the end of 2014 when I closed up my hives for winter, this was my strongest hive. In the spring it was empty, no dead bees inside or on the ground in front of the hive. I have not checked all my hives. This is a project for the spring of 2016.
Have any others experienced current flow in their hives?


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Electricity give off electromagnetic radiation, which is linked to all kinds of things like cancer, child development.... Usually any bad effect come from high doses for long durations. Such as overhead power lines.

A gauss meter can measure this.

I don't think an electric fence will give a very high reading.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Tinfoil hat time!


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## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Oh Gawd, mites and SHB's, now electrical current?

:ws:


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

Just think of all the damage the earths magnetic field must be doing to us and our bees
Johno


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## BeeBop (Apr 23, 2015)

You should build Faraday cages for all of your hives.


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## jfmcree (Mar 10, 2014)

Not that I have ever noticed, measured or thought about.

What made you think of even looking for a current flow in your hives? Can you determine through what medium the current is flowing? I suppose bee bodies would conduct some amount of electricity and a screened bottom board, wires in frames and conductive top metal cover might provide sufficient metal material to conduct electricity, but it would probably be grounded unless you have a metal stand. Just imagining.....

Regarding your hive losses, have you checked for mites, sufficient food stores and moisture? Those are much more likely recognized causes of hive losses.

Jim.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

The graph posted shows mV, which is mili volts not amps. This is a very small number that is generally seen any time you have two test leads held out to open air and not shorted (touching each other).
It is not uncommon to generate high voltages (static electricity) by rotor blades on helicopters or different materials rubbing on each other. This number is generally in the thousands of volts. Cows have been shown to stop making milk if exposed to 1.4 volts (thus the extreme NEC grounding requirements for dairy's). 
Maybe you could do two conductive plates separated by a di-electric and make your own bee hive capacitor!


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Why is it called static electricity? Because it is not flowing! Voltage measured does not indicate current is flowing. That frequency observed in the chart is interesting. Is the source actually at that frequency or is there merely _affectively_ a tuned circuit in the resistance and capacitance of the measuring circuit which occillates at that frequency as it discharges the static build up.

There have been some very convoluted rationalizations about PPB


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