Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: goatmanbees on February 07, 2013, 10:36:55 am

Title: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: goatmanbees on February 07, 2013, 10:36:55 am
I've heard about dog and other animals acting strange or going missing before an earthquake.
Has anyone observed or heard stories of earthquakes affecting honey bees?
Just curious.

Bill
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: brushwoodnursery on February 07, 2013, 11:00:31 am
I heard a bunch absconded just before Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey, New York area.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Kathyp on February 07, 2013, 11:16:13 am
Quote
I heard a bunch absconded just before Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey, New York area.

don't know, but maybe some of the CA folks can say.  interesting thought because i have had lots of swarm calls when we have had bad t-storms.  i was going with the pressure change cause.  would love to know if they react to the earthquakes.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Jeanette on February 24, 2013, 12:38:41 am
I found reference to a book written in 1996 "Ted Miller's Earthquake Prediction Handbook" claiming that:
"Bees have been seen evacuating their hive in a panic, minutes before an earthquake, and then not returning until fifteen minutes after the quake ended. Even creatures such as millipedes, leeches, squid, and ants have been reported to exhibit abnormal behavior prior to earthquakes."
http://users.lycaeum.org/~maverick/quake.htm (http://users.lycaeum.org/~maverick/quake.htm)

There is also an article on the Caltech website that mentions bees swarming before an earthquake:
"For many organisms, behavioral action taken prior to an earthquake could reduce mortality: fish and cetaceans leaving coastal zones, rodents
exiting from collapsible burrows or dwellings, bees swarming, parents delaying egg-laying, etc."
Earthquake Prediction by Animals: Evolution and Sensory Perception
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~jkirschvink/pdfs/earthquakeprediction.pdf (http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~jkirschvink/pdfs/earthquakeprediction.pdf)
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Finski on February 24, 2013, 03:33:44 am


don't know, but maybe some of the CA folks can say.  interesting thought because i have had lots of swarm calls when we have had bad t-storms.  i was going with the pressure change cause.  would love to know if they react to the earthquakes.

When bees swarm, they have decided that happening 2 weeks ealier when the queen lays into queen cells.

I have wondered that what signal they get when several hives start to do same things.

.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Stromnessbees on February 24, 2013, 08:02:18 am
earthquakes - HAARP ?

(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS7img8HOL-1JpqkraM2I2qzkbBcKDfhRaswivC-JMZvr_KDx8IpA)
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: goatmanbees on February 24, 2013, 10:12:08 am
Thank you everyone for the replies.  Absolutely fascinating!!!!
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Finski on February 24, 2013, 10:37:47 am
.
It is like corn circles. Even if 2 men told 1991 how they have done them, today we still look TV programs how aliens have done them and they are some energy centres.

.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Kathyp on February 24, 2013, 12:31:38 pm
Quote
When bees swarm, they have decided that happening 2 weeks ealier when the queen lays into queen cells.

sure, but i have wondered if timing was influenced by weather, specifically the pressure changes.  otherwise, it seems like a dumb time to swarm right when a t-storm is coming.  it might be wise time to get out of the way if a tornado were coming.  that's also preceded by pressure change.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Kathyp on February 24, 2013, 12:33:44 pm
Quote
earthquakes - HAARP ?

right, because there weren't any before that   :-D
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Finski on February 24, 2013, 12:56:54 pm
Quote
When bees swarm, they have decided that happening 2 weeks ealier when the queen lays into queen cells.

sure, but i have wondered if timing was influenced by weather, specifically the pressure changes. 

swarming pressure, yes---
.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees revisited
Post by: jack rabbit on August 24, 2014, 03:56:56 pm
I'd like to revive an older thread--has anyone seen a connection between bee behavior and earthquakes?  Yesterday my bees were unusually active-- probably 20x the usual activity at the entrance of the hive.  Last night (12 hours later) we had a 6.1 earthquake.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Kathyp on August 24, 2014, 03:59:19 pm
Thanks for digging this up.  interesting stuff.

jack, can you go into your profile and put your location....you might just as well be in Chili for all we know   ;)
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: GSF on August 24, 2014, 04:26:20 pm
welcome JR, ditto the location thing
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Dallasbeek on August 24, 2014, 04:26:54 pm
Thanks, Jack, for reviving this thread.  Like many, I had missed it when I looked at old threads.  But I'll second Kathy's recommendation that you put your location in your profile.  I doubt you're in Chile, but you could be anywhere in the world.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Packrat3wires on August 24, 2014, 11:22:03 pm
Do you live in California?   Please post location
Title: Re:
Post by: LaurieBee on August 25, 2014, 01:38:45 am
Welcome Jack Rabbit. I hope you fared well through the earthquake. And welcome.
Title: Re: Earthquakes and bees
Post by: Steel Tiger on August 25, 2014, 02:12:29 am
 From what I've read, the early earthquake alarms gave about 10 seconds. That's enough time for people to ask "What's that noise?" before it hit.