Impact of Wireless Network Electromagnetic Fields on Navigation Abilities and Homing of Honey Bees

The article examines the influence of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) produced by wireless infrastructure on the navigation abilities and homing success of the Western honey bee Apis mellifera. The relevance of this work is determined by the fact that pollination is an economically and ecosystemically significant service, while the density of RF-EMF sources in landscapes is rapidly increasing and transforming previously local impacts into a quasi-permanent background. This review aims to integrate data on bee orientation mechanisms, exposure metrics, and regimes (ranging from electric field strength and power density to SAR/surface-averaged absorbed power density), as well as behavioral protocols that enable the detection of hive-return disruptions under realistic conditions. Scientific novelty lies in a cognitive-ecological interpretation of navigation as a multichannel ensemble (solar compass with circadian compensation, polarization cues, landscape memory, and potential magnetic sensitivity), within which RF-EMF are considered not as an off-switch for orientation but as a factor that shifts channel weights and increases the probability of errors. Additionally, the necessity of linking field dosimetry with the modeling of energy absorption by the bee body is emphasized, because the frequency structure of the environment can alter absorbed power disproportionately to the mean background. The main conclusions can be summarized as a fundamental distinction between short-term and chronic exposure: in a particular field test at frequencies typical of Wi-Fi, a reduction in the return proportion was observed under prolonged exposure, whereas short irradiation before release did not demonstrate a comparable effect. Practically, this supports a precautionary approach (reasonable hive placement and minimization of unnecessary transmitters near colonies) alongside standardized recording of context and behavioral indicators. The article will be helpful for researchers of insect behavior, specialists in radiobiology/ecotoxicology, as well as practitioners of beekeeping and agroecology who assess the risks associated with the anthropogenic background.