Loud low-pitched stuttering buzz from hive?

tjc1 · April 21, 2020, 03:33:00 PM

I just released a new queen (she had been in the hive in cage for 3 days and they had not released her) into a queenless hive with a very small cluster, and added a frame of BIAS from another hive. When I put my ear to the hive afterwards, I almost jumped! There was the strangest - very LOUD - very low-pitched stuttering buzz coming from the hive. Never heard anything like it - any thoughts? It was not being made by a group of bees, sounded like just one. Hope it wasn't the queen being attacked...

van from Arkansas · April 21, 2020, 04:17:44 PM

Tjc, greetings. Some comments on bee noise.

When I remove a queen from a hive, there is a roar within the hive. The bees realize they are queenless and make this roar.

Queens can make a piping sound, I have only heard this with new queens introduced to a hive.

Solidarity angry bees make high pitch buzz usually in my veil, the bee is angry and trying to recruit more bees, to my face I might add.

Then there is swarm roar, where every bee in the air and hive is buzzing.

Then there is a gentle roar when I open a hive, harmless bees just alerting the hive to breach.

There are several sounds I can recognize, however the sound described is not known to me. I have seen queens balled before and there was no acoustics, no sounds.

Hopefully the queen is fine. Please follow up in a few days so we can all learn.

TheHoneyPump · April 21, 2020, 04:32:01 PM

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VVVVVVVVrrroooozzzzzzzzTTT. ..... zzzzzzTTTT ...... zzzzzzTTTT. ........zzzzzzTTTT .........zzzzzzzzTTTTTTT
VVVVVVVVrrroooozzzzzzzzTTT. ..... zzzzzzTTTT ...... zzzzzzTTTT. ........zzzzzzTTTT .........zzzzzzzzTTTTTTT

That type of sound would be queen(s) piping. If you hear that it means there is more than one queen in the box and they are trying to find each other for a fight. Perhaps the bees had not released the queen from the cage because they already had a queen on the got, a virgin maybe.
Of maybe the shake of bees added had a queen go with it.

You had better go open up and check asap. Or not. You could also just let the bees and queens sort themselves out. There would be a dead queen in the grass out front tomorrow morning. The loser - which will probably be the queen that was in the cage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgSJg3oa4FE

tjc1 · April 21, 2020, 04:44:02 PM

No, not at all piping, which I am familiar with. This is very low pitched and louder than anything i have ever heard in the hive before. If the weather weren't so dicey today, I'd open back up to investigate a bit. It was still audible 45 minutes later but not as loud. I'll report back if anything else happens - no dead queen on the bottom screen so far, thankfully!

FloridaGardener · April 21, 2020, 10:14:00 PM

The piping sound like the queens have little tiny kazoos...made of comb and wax paper, right? 😆

A lower pitch is the fanning roar. Are they drying nectar in hot weather with not much ventilation?

van from Arkansas · April 21, 2020, 10:41:25 PM

Most of my hives are vented, as you pointed out to dry nectar which is 80 percent water. I use those metal flat round disc that have multipurpose vents. Humidity in North Arkansas is very high combined with high summer heat. My bees need the vents, I need air conditioning or I would just melt like a candle at my age. Humor intended.

tjc1 · April 22, 2020, 12:17:56 AM

Quote from: FloridaGardener on April 21, 2020, 10:14:00 PM
The piping sound like the queens have little tiny kazoos...made of comb and wax paper, right? 😆

A lower pitch is the fanning roar. Are they drying nectar in hot weather with not much ventilation?

Not drying any nectar in Massachusetts here today

! This sound was being made by ONE bee in the hive, probably close to the side of the box where I placed my ear... lower pitch as in 60 cycle hum (not sure exact pitch, but LOW). Not a roar, but a stuttering buzz or growl as some have suggested.

Ben Framed · April 22, 2020, 12:23:01 AM

Quote from: tjc1 on April 22, 2020, 12:17:56 AM
Quote from: FloridaGardener on April 21, 2020, 10:14:00 PM
The piping sound like the queens have little tiny kazoos...made of comb and wax paper, right? 😆

A lower pitch is the fanning roar. Are they drying nectar in hot weather with not much ventilation?
Not drying any nectar in Massachusetts here today ! This sound was being made by ONE bee in the hive, probably close to the side of the box where I placed my ear... lower pitch as in 60 cycle hum (not sure exact pitch, but LOW). Not a roar, but a stuttering buzz or growl as some have suggested.

Probably a queen with a bass voice. Not every species throws identical replication every time. Buffalo sometimes throw a white calf, as do squirrels, deer etc. That would be my last guess. A queen with low pitched pipe. Unless you have a bore bee on the outside drilling in that you have not noticed. lol

Phillip Hall

CoolBees · April 22, 2020, 03:47:20 PM

Tjc1 - what your describing sounds like a Drone to me. Especially a Drone that may have gotten a leg pinched by a frame, or something. Fwiw.

tjc1 · April 22, 2020, 08:32:56 PM

Hi CoolBees - funny you should mention that - in my hive notes I wondered if it were possible that a bee was stuck somewhere... a drone would make sense as it was so loud.
As far as updates, today all was humming along quietly -

TheHoneyPump · April 29, 2020, 11:50:56 PM

Well, did you figure out what it was?