Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: acbs on June 14, 2007, 12:16:46 am

Title: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: acbs on June 14, 2007, 12:16:46 am
A couple of weeks ago I posted a thread in the "Queens" section of the forum about a queen I had videoed piping and discovered a queen still in her cell piping back.  I came upon the same situation the next day in another hive after a small swarm had left.  Got some better shots this time.

Just to clear a few things up before you watch it:

The dried grass iin the entrance is being used as an entrance reducer.  Didn't have many bees in the box and had some cooler nights right after I put them in.  Worked great and is totally natural!

Remember, these are sisters, not mother and daughter.  I had put a frame in this box out of a hive that had several queen cells on the frame.  I brought the small swarm home, they're building comb and she's started to lay.

Watch the bees on the cell while the one inside is piping.  Notice that while the queen outside is in the immediate area and on the cell the one inside remains quiet.  She gets quiet as the other approaches and it's not until the hatched queen goes to the other side and starts piping that the one inside starts again.  Talk about knowing when to keep your mouth shut!  It also seems strange to me that the hatched queen would stop by the queen cup next to the cell and pipe there before she climbed up on the cell to pipe.  She could pipe with such force that at one time I could feel the vibrations in the frame.  Even though I've seen it, I'm still not sure what they use to make the piping sound, especially if a queen inside a cell can pipe. Any answers?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBlI1sgczVY

Hope you enjoy the video,
Arvin

Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on June 14, 2007, 10:37:02 am
What a very fascinating video...I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: shakerbeeman on June 14, 2007, 11:04:32 am
Wonderful film. A real education. Thank you so much.  ;)
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: Scadsobees on June 14, 2007, 01:41:36 pm
That is interesting!  Nice to capture it on video.  It almost seemed that the bees(at least the free queen) froze for a second when piping was going on.  Did you notice anything like that?

I have a small observation hive that had 3 virgins(emergency, one undersized, one sickly looking) running around in for a few days.  No piping that I noticed.  But I do notice now that when I make a high-pitched tone with my voice that the activity in the hive pauses until I stop.  Very interesting.

Thanks for posting that!
Rick
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: acbs on June 14, 2007, 05:10:33 pm
Scadsobees,

The free queen did stop when she piped.  She arches her body slightly and then there is an ever so slight movement of her abdomen when she pipes.  That is why I asked about any answers on how they make the piping sound.  Just watching her doesn't really explain it.  My wife and I have discussed this after we have watched them do this several times.  For the lack of a better description, it appears that she's tensing up to... well...uh...blow some wind, pass some gas, shoot one out the ole' tailpipe so to speak. (maybe that's why they call it piping?!?  Just kiddin')

Arvin
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: beekeeperookie on June 14, 2007, 08:27:02 pm
Great video, that was really cool.  I like how the queen in the cell got real quiet when the free queen came by :-D
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: buzzbee on June 14, 2007, 09:58:48 pm
I can't get this video to play? Does it take a while to load or what am I doing wrong?I get a spinning circle of circles.
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: SystemShark on June 14, 2007, 10:04:50 pm
Same problem for me. I use mozilla firefox as an internet browser. I tried it in IE though and same thing.
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: buzzbee on June 14, 2007, 10:07:09 pm
Ditto here.IE didn't help,tried sons computer,same thing.You tube down possibly?
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: acbs on June 14, 2007, 10:17:28 pm
I got IE.  Just tried it, worked fine.  Can't explain your problem.  You can find it if you do a search on YouTube for "acbees".  It's the only video I have at this time.

Arvin
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: buzzbee on June 14, 2007, 10:22:06 pm
How long does it take to start playing? Do you have to be a youtube member to watch this video?
Never had any trouble watching on youtube before.
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: tillie on June 14, 2007, 10:25:28 pm
Incredible - I loved hearing it and seeing it....Thanks for sharing it.

Linda T in Atlanta
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: Wes Sapp on June 14, 2007, 11:14:15 pm
Wow, that's incredible. If you can't download the link just go to youtube and search for "queens piping after a swarm" it's worth the trouble.
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: JP on June 15, 2007, 02:22:28 am
Very fascinating video and enjoyed your commentary. You are a natural film maker, imo.
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: Bennettoid on June 15, 2007, 11:00:34 am
Excellent. I've never seen it before.
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: Kirk-o on June 15, 2007, 08:03:55 pm
Un believeable fantastic video
kirk
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: reinbeau on June 15, 2007, 11:02:01 pm
For some reason Youtube won't play this video for me.  All I get is that spinny thing  :(
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: buzzbee on June 15, 2007, 11:22:16 pm
Reinbeau,
i get the same thing with Firefox and IE.
Here is a wav file for anyone who can't get the video:
http://hemingwaysouthcarolina.com/sounds/queenpiping.wav
I heard this sound in two hives yesterday and from what I've read it can be a precursor to a swarm. Today I captured one of the swarms!  I'll keep my ear to those boxes!! I was on the lookout and got them before they got away!
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: Cindi on June 17, 2007, 12:11:41 pm
Arvin, the queen's voice is created when the queen pushes her thorax against the frame (or whatever) and it makes a vibration.  That is why you said that you could feel a vibration.  It is the power of the queen body.  Simply amazing.  Love that you took the time to create the video.  Good for you.  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: acbs on June 17, 2007, 11:21:31 pm
Thanks Cindi,

You're the only one who has been able to help me with the question of how the queen "pipes".  I certainly appreciate that.

For those of you who can't view the video, I'm sorry.  I tried every way I knew how to upload it on Zunibee but could never succeed.  I'll try to just upload the piping part to see if that will work.

Arvin
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: Cindi on June 20, 2007, 11:06:43 am
Arvin, I am surprised that more people don't know what causes the piping "voice" of the queen.  It is talked about in the ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, in my old, old edition.  The author called it the "Queen's voice".  There is a little section on it in this book.  It is very cool.  Awesome day, great life.  Cindi
Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: G3farms on May 26, 2009, 12:55:11 am
I know this is an old thread but had a question on it.

acbs said in the video that the hive had swarmed and these two were sisters.

my questions are:

1. did they finally fight to the death??

2. could you have taken the free queen and some brood and put them in a nuc to start another hive and then just let the other queen hatch out and leave her there for that hive?

seems like it would work to me, but what do I know!!

G3

this is a very interesting video, even if it was from two years ago!! thanks acbs thats just the kind of info we need.



Title: Re: Piping Queens Part#2-Finally a Video
Post by: acbs on May 26, 2009, 04:48:41 am
G3farms,
Was surprised to see this post brought back to life.   
The only answer I can give to your first question is this, a queen survived, the starter hive grew, and it was able to survive the winter.  Which queen it was, I have no way of knowing.  Looking back I do wish I would have at least marked the one queen that had hatched to give a better idea of how things worked out.  I work as a truck driver and my work days are unpredictable as times and this was one of those times.  I was not able to check back in on the hive until a couple of days later. 
The answer to your second question would definitely be "yes, you are correct, it will work".  I think I was so amazed at what i saw and so pleased with being able to capture it on video I was just content with that.  The reason the tape ended at that point was because I ran out of tape and had no more with me to continue. :'(  I have had success a couple of times since with finding a virgin in the hive and separating them from cells just as you have stated.
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed it.
Arvin