In article <[log in to unmask]>, CAIR <[log in to unmask]> writes >Does anyone have any information about or experience with high-tension >power lines causing bees to swarm? I think if you search the archives you will find this is a subject which has been covered several times before. All I can add, and have done so before, is that we are in an area with many power lines criss crossing the landscape and quite often we place loads of hives near, or even directly under, HT power lines. These are not the small few thousand volt type which we do not even pay any attention to, but the big stuff, up to 330,000V. No difference whatsoever in any aspect of their behaviour. For many years one of our best locations has been within the footprint of a very large junction pylon. This is on a live 330,000V line, and the pylon is big enough to drive our vehicle through the bottom and still fit 50 colonies in with more scattered outside. It is the only area of unused ground adjacent to the crops on the farm in question so we had to use it, and have been doing so now for nearly 20 years now. It is one of our very best locations, with no accentuated aggression, swarming or anything else untoward. Combs are drawn perfectly normally. I don't suppose this helps much, as some people have very entrenched beliefs (even fears and phobias) about such things. Bees, fortunately, are not familiar with many of the subjects that exercise our minds and just get on with it wherever they find conditions favourable. -- Murray McGregor