News Animals

Insect swarms might generate as much electric charge as storm clouds

The role insect-induced static electricity plays in the atmosphere may be unappreciated

A swarm of locusts flies over a field.

A simulation built using data from honeybees suggests that large locust swarms, like the one pictured here, could produce as much electricity as a storm cloud.

John Carnemolla/Getty

By Darren Incorvaia

You might feel a spark when you talk to your crush, but living things don’t require romance to make electricity. A study published October 24 in iScience suggests that the electricity naturally produced by swarming insects like honeybees and locusts is an unappreciated contributor to the overall electric charge of the atmosphere.