queen noise

[SOB]

it sounded as if the queen was  squealing, eeee!   what is this noise and what does it mean? thanks

[Michael Bush]

It is the sound a newly emerged queen makes.  It's called "piping".  When they are pinned in the cell by the bees (because they are trying to keep her from emerging yet) she makes the same sound but because of the cell it sounds more like a quack.  Did the hive swarm?  Supercede?

[SOB]

It's within an observation hive and the sound did come from the bottom frame just out of my sight.  I have only two lg frames in the hive ... it looks like it's ready to explode.  Yesterday more than half the bees left mid-afternoon within a couple of hours they all came back.  Today is the first time I heard the piping.  I have a second observation hive with four frames ... any ideas?

[FrogPond]

No kidding!  :shock:

They make noise other than with their wings? I have never heard about this or experienced it. Do you know if there are any recordings of this?

[SOB]

My bees are on a desk right next to the computer ... If she starts again I'll drag the microphone over.

[Kris^]

No kidding!  :shock:

They make noise other than with their wings? I have never heard about this or experienced it. Do you know if there are any recordings of this?

This site has a wave file:  http://hemingwaysouthcarolina.com/sounds/queenpiping.wav

-- Kris

[bassman1977]

Wow.  That is something else.  Sounds like she's crying.

Just a comment on your bees leaving and coming back...

Sounds like they are doing some practice runs for an up-and-coming swarm.

I don't know how those observations hives work, but from what I've seen, there doesn't look like much room for growth.  Is there anyway you can get them into a regular hive so the hive can grow?  Doing this might get rid of their desire to swarm.  If you can do that, then later down the road use your observation hive for a split or start another package or what have you.

[FrogPond]

Wow. I am still amazed at this... does anyone know how the queens make this noise? I doubt it is a voice, but I am curious about the sound mechanisms just the same.

[bassman1977]

Here, check this out.

http://www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/sci1964.htm

[tig]

thats a piping queen! when i ordered about 150 queens and kept them in my house before introducing them, at times it would sound like a whole orchestra in full swing.

[Michael Bush]

When she makes it you can see her wings move but it also appears she is blowing air out her spiracles.  I think its some combination of the two.

You have a new queen in your observation hive.  They could be swarming, already have swarmed or are superceding.

[SOB]

Being the SOB that I am I have connected the 2nd and larger empty 4 frame observation hive to the smaller one ... shut them off from going outside and feeding sugar water between the two hives.   Roughly 5% of the bees are in the new hive tonight ... the small hive is so packed I don't think they have any other choice.  Think they might just swarm right into the new hive?  Any predictions as to what will happen?

[Michael Bush]

My prediction is that they will swarm when you finally open it up.  Whether they will be queenless or not afterwards is hard to say.  It depends on how well the bees keep the two queens seperated.

[SOB]

The bees have become more adgitated into day 2 so today I let them go back out.  After all I'm just looking to have an obversation hive .. if they swarm they swarm.  The first half hour the 1 inch tube going outside was solid with bees ... now they have settled down with a constant flow in and out ... I'm still making them go through the larger hive to get out.

[SOB]

It's been almost three weeks ... no swarming ... overflow population stays in the larger hive at night ... yesterday I see they have started building foundation on the bottom frame in the empty larger hive.

[Michael Bush]

Is there a new queen?