Bee response to tone

[Scadsobees]

One thing that I noticed in my observation hive, and I was wondering if anybody else knows what I am talking about and has any ideas why.

When watching my observation hive, I noticed that when I made a high pitched tone with my voice, the majority of the bees "freeze" for the duration of the tone.  Has anybody else noticed anything like this?

I haven't tried it outside on the regular hives yet, but then again there are neighbors around and they'd wonder why that loony is singing to his bees.....

The tone would be best described as the "ho" part of a falsetto "yodel-ahe-ho".  I think they do this also at some other tones, but I'm not sure.

Please don't ask me how I first noticed this, probably singing some silly tune to the kids.

Rick

[randydrivesabus]

must be the vibration....don't crack the glass!

[JP]

must be the vibration....don't crack the glass!

The skinny is that bees don't hear like we do, they pick up on vibrations. This is why you can operate a rotozip that's buzzing that high pitched sqwuak, but if you tap on the wall they put on the gloves.


...JP

[bassman1977]

The skinny is that bees don't hear like we do, they pick up on vibrations. This is why you can operate a rotozip that's buzzing that high pitched sqwuak, but if you tap on the wall they put on the gloves.

Last year, when weed wacking around the hives, they were ok for a while but then they started coming out in force, then started buzzing around me like "hey...knock that off!".  I didn't get a whole lot of grass into the front entrance, but the little bit could have set them off I guess.  It was dusk when I did this.  Regardless of what caused them to get cranky, be it the noise or the grass flying, I now operate the weed wacker or chain saw in a bee suit, if I am in close proximity to the hives.

[randydrivesabus]

in the case of engines running nearby it could be the vibrations or the exhaust or both.

[bassman1977]

in the case of engines running nearby it could be the vibrations or the exhaust or both.

Very possible.  I don't have any issues mowing past them but that's a quick few passes so maybe it takes some time for them to actually decide to want to do something about it.

[wtiger]

Wasn't there a post where someones bees didn't like the vibrations of their AC and were killing themselves in mass attacking it?

[Understudy]

Exhale once into one of the vent holes you will get them moving I promise.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[bassman1977]

Wasn't there a post where someones bees didn't like the vibrations of their AC and were killing themselves in mass attacking it?

I haven't seen that one.  I would find that very odd, unless the hives were really close to the AC.  I have seen a few bees gathering water from the drip holes.  It wasn't anything aggressive.

Exhale once into one of the vent holes you will get them moving I promise.

You got that right.  They even take exception to it if you breathe on them while inspecting.  Sweat drops ticks them off too.

[acbs]

Had filled in some of the extra space left when using 5-6 frames in a full sized box last year with snug fitting pieces of Styrofoam.  As the population increased and I needed to add more frames, I would pull out the Styrofoam.  When it would give out that "squeak" rubbing against the sides of the box as I was removing it the bees would stand still till it was over.  They'd resume moving until the next piece, then they'd be still again.  Kind of like "stop action".
Arvin

[Cindi]

Rick, when that note is in that certain pitch, it probably is very similar to the sound that the queen makes when she is piping, the queen presses her thorax against the comb/foundation and it makes a vibration sound, which is heard as a "sound", that piping sound.  I can bet your bottom dollar that the bees think that you are the queen piping, hee, hee, sounds funny, but I think that is what you are experiencing.  Best of this beautiful and most wonderful day, Cindi