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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: CapnChkn on May 01, 2011, 10:49:27 pm

Title: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 01, 2011, 10:49:27 pm
Last Sunday, I went out to the garden and looked at my trap, and I caught one!  I'm as surprised as you.  Anyway, I took the nuc I caught them in and set them up in the beeyard with some syrup, and left them to their own devices.

Trouble came in the form of Robbers and an all out bee war which I think I've squelched by locking the intruders out with Robber screens.  Entrance is severely restricted to a quarter inch hole.  Looking over the situation, I hear a sound like bacon frying.  There's no noise like this coming from the hive and I've never heard anything like this before.  A search for "Bacon Frying" here on the forums brings 4 hits for Recipes.

Beeacon.wav (6 MB) (http://www.captainchicken.com/pictures/beeacon.wav)

All I can think is the plywood the nuc is made from is thinner than the wood of the deep.  But that doesn't seem likely to stop this sound, I can hear it from 5 feet away.  Can anyone enlighten me?  Is this a mutant swarm?
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: hardwood on May 01, 2011, 10:57:45 pm
That's bees fanning.

Scott
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: forrestcav on May 01, 2011, 11:14:53 pm
sounds like you need to transfer to a deep box, reduce the entrance and top feed. Bacon sound = bees frying?
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: G3farms on May 01, 2011, 11:26:55 pm
I agree they are over heating, a screened bottom board will help and then you can choke down the entrance.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 01, 2011, 11:52:26 pm
¡Que Bueno!

There isn't any information on the Internets.  Explains why they slowed down at dusk.  They do have a screen, but the entrance is about 2 inches by 5/16.  No top vent.  I wish I could get the table saw working, all this "jury rigging" is getting me stung.

I meant burglar bars.  Solid bottom.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: VolunteerK9 on May 02, 2011, 09:53:56 am
I may be wrong, but a roaring sound could also indicate that they are now queenless due to all the robbing. I think I would  check.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 02, 2011, 11:52:18 am
Though I will check anyway, I'm thinking the first idea is the right one.  Is the sound you're calling "roaring" kind of like when you put your ear to the box in winter and tap V-K9?  The sound they're making is continuous.  I had visions of enemy bees getting in there and tearing the comb to shreds.  I've opened up some holes and added screen to that, and can feel the heat coming from the entrance.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: VolunteerK9 on May 02, 2011, 01:01:18 pm
Sort of but incredibly louder
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: AliciaH on May 02, 2011, 02:16:29 pm
I think the "bacon frying" sound is bees chewing.  If you reduced the entrance and they want out, they will make their own hole.

Robbers, when they are really motivated, will get in that way, too.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: BlueBee on May 02, 2011, 02:25:34 pm
I agree with Alicia, it sounds like chewing to me.  My bees sounded just like frying bacon when trying to chew through my foam hives.  Not sure what that would sound like in a wood hive.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: forrestcav on May 02, 2011, 02:40:04 pm
if i wee closer. i'd oftr you the use of dad's table saw. Not the greastest, but did ok for the screened bottom boards he cut for me. (my woodworking sucks). if you can srape the cash there's that guy in shelbyville I told you about.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 03, 2011, 02:26:49 am
I opened up the top of the robber screen, unplugged the nuc I've been using as a feeder, and popped the cork off the vent I built it with.  Almost immediately the sound went down, and by dusk I couldn't hear it anymore.  I haven't been inside because Forrestcav and I have been having some grey, cloudy, weather.  Chewing?

That's what I was thinking Alicia, but I came to accept the fanning idea.  I am going to be surprised if that plywood is all chewed up.  I made about 7 boxes, one without a vent in the back.  They were getting in and out through a 2 inch by 5/16 hole in the front.  In an effort to get feed to them I put another nuc next to it, an inner cover so they could get over to it, and a telescoping cover on top.

I had plugged the entrances with blocks of wood so I could control the robbers, and they started this.  I have now covered the entrance of the feeder nuc with screen, opened it's vent.

(http://www.captainchicken.com/pictures/camonuc500.jpg)

The groove in this block fits over a 3/4 inch hole with no screen.  I haven't really had any luck keeping the heavy rains we've been having out of the boxes, but I was thinking "Shipping container" when I did it.  They're supposed to be up in a tree after all.

Joe, thanks for the offer, but I think it's just the reset switch.  If I get desperate I'll go to my neighbor's.  I'll tell you all what I find out.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: forrestcav on May 03, 2011, 03:06:36 pm
Good luck and lets all hope for some fair weather for the ladies to get their work done. Or in my case be shipped to me.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 04, 2011, 11:19:22 pm
Alrighty then.  I got into the nuc, looked through, and I see brood, nothing chewed to rags, and a lot of capped stores and brood.  I have to admit I was more interested in seeing baby bees than looking for signs of manic bees seeking egress.  I sat and watched for a little while, waiting for pollen, but it's been just above 60 F (16 C) and I don't know if pollen was being found.

All I can say for certain is window screen makes a lousy bee veil.  I looked for the queen and didn't really see anything, but did find nice white, "c" shaped brood.  The bees didn't roar, but it's been days now, and the sound has stopped.

Thank you everyone, and I will post further feverish queries at the next crisis, real or perceived.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: Beaver Dam on May 05, 2011, 12:20:28 am
Of all the beeks out there,I can't believe you don't know what that sound is. "Bees talking".

 No I think its just a normal hive working. I normally hear that sound when I locate cutouts.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 05, 2011, 12:31:29 am
Yah!  I know what they're saying:

"PSST!  Here he comes!  Start making that noise!"
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: forrestcav on May 05, 2011, 08:57:36 am
like a bunch of kids trying to look good for the teacher.
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: joebrown on May 21, 2011, 01:17:21 am
Looks like the Nucs above are made out of Plywood....never seen that before....do you like them better out of plywood instead of pine?  Is is cheaper? Easier? More durable? Just wondering!
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: CapnChkn on May 21, 2011, 10:42:45 am
These are actually the DCoates 5 frame nuc.  The plans are published in detail elsewhere on this site.  Yep, the nucs are made from plywood.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,27006.0.html (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,27006.0.html)
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: joebrown on May 21, 2011, 10:46:46 pm
Thanks for the link!!
Title: Re: What is this sound?
Post by: Michael Bach on May 22, 2011, 10:49:08 pm
Have heard that sound before.  I notice most during a strong honey flow.

Normal.

Never had any evidence of robbing while they were making that sound.