stethoscope

[danno]

Bought a cheap 10.00 stethoscope Sat. and was amased at how well it worked. So far so good there all alive and I didn't have to rap on the side of the box and disturb them

[Natalie]

Where did you buy a stethoscope? Just occured to me I wouldn't know where to get one.

[vmi1839]

I too have just had a friend of mine loan me a stethoscope and went out to check the hive.  I heard nothing.  I've been out twice since the first time early last week and still I am hearing nothing.  This is my first year keeping bees and my first winter with bees.  Shouldn't I be hearing something, especially if I tap on the outside of the hive?  I’m in southeaster Indiana and it’s been quite cold here lately with the exception of this past weekend (we hit 55 deg.).

[Nate]

i've used a stethoscope a few times this fall to check my bee population.  You can hear the buzzing quite clear with a stethoscope.  You can also distinguish which box the bees are in by the different intensity in where you place the stethoscope.

[danno]

Where did you buy a stethoscope? Just occured to me I wouldn't know where to get one.

I got it a walgreens pharm.  by the blood pressure testing supplies
vmi1839
I dont what to say. Its not a loud buzz.  At least not to my old ears but a stead hum.  I have 2 nuc's in my barn and completely out of the wind and they were very easy to hear.   I also have some double deeps in one end of my eastern facing tool shed that were easy.  The ones out in the fields needed a completely windless day.

[Scadsobees]

I wish I had a steth....I do the same thing, but by putting my ear right up flat to the box.  Its a little trickier but can still hear pretty much the same thing.  And of course wet knees from kneeling in the snow, and the neighbors have tried to have me committed to a mental hospital twice now when they catch me kneeling strangely near those weird boxes in the back yard....

[danno]

I wish I had a steth....I do the same thing, but by putting my ear right up flat to the box.  Its a little trickier but can still hear pretty much the same thing.  And of course wet knees from kneeling in the snow, and the neighbors have tried to have me committed to a mental hospital twice now when they catch me kneeling strangely near those weird boxes in the back yard....

Just paint RIP of the front and tell the neighbors its a family cemetery

[asprince]

I bought mine off ebay. I use it sometimes to help know where to cut when they are in a wall.

Steve

[tlynn]

At what temperature do you consider it safe to open up the hive?

[annette]

I wish I had a steth....I do the same thing, but by putting my ear right up flat to the box.  Its a little trickier but can still hear pretty much the same thing.  And of course wet knees from kneeling in the snow, and the neighbors have tried to have me committed to a mental hospital twice now when they catch me kneeling strangely near those weird boxes in the back yard....

Yeah sounds perverted to me!!!

[Lone]

I too have just had a friend of mine loan me a stethoscope and went out to check the hive.  I heard nothing.

Vmi1839, did you make sure the stethoscope was set to the diaphragm, the side you are most likely to use, with the plastic drum over it?  Twisting the part at the end puts the sound through either the diaphragm or bell.  Listen while tapping the diaphragm to make sure it is picking up sound.


Nurse Lone