Does anyone have any bee sound recordings?

[BeeScientist]

Hello beekeepers!

Our lab recently noticed that our bees are disturbed by nearby air pollutants while doing some routine recordings. The swarm changed pitch when the pollutant passed by (from a vehicle), similar to when bees are angered by something. We now want to write about what we've found, but we don't have and can't get any recordings of normal bee noises (hive noises or otherwise) and how that changes when bees are stressed by something - stressors like too much smoke come to mind.

Do any of you have any audio recordings of bee noises, or decent video with audio included? It would be especially helpful if anyone had any recordings of happy bees that are angered by something, and the change in pitch is audible.

Cheers!

[Michael Bush]

They make a dissonant sound at night when they've been getting robbed during the day.  They make during the day too, but it's more noticeable at night.  They also make different sounds when they are about to swarm.  Sorry I don't have any recordings.  I should make some I suppose when I get that mysterious Round Tuit.

[Ben Framed]

BeeScientist Welcome to Beemaster!

Phillip

[The15thMember]

Welcome to Beemaster, BeeScientist!    I know the podcast Beekeeper Confidential has a recording of the inside of a hive.  It's episode 28, June 10, 2019, titled "Inside the Hive: 50,000 Bees at Work", and the recording is about 30 min.  I don't know if it contains any of the changes in pitch you are looking for or if the recording is of a high enough quality, but it might be worth a look. 

[Ben Framed]

BeeScientist you would do well to invest in a observation hive to aid in your studies if you have not done so not already. (If you are referring to an established colony). You can video each action as well as audio record as bees go along in their daily routine and activities. Including the situation which you have described.. As you know, Honey Bees will make a humming sound when ventilating the hive. Is this the sound you are describing?

PS
To be clear, you mentioned a swarm. Do you mean a swarm or colony? If swarm disregard this post lol.

Thanks,
Phillip

[Ben Framed]

Adding: I have never noticed a sitting swarm making noises.


Phillip

[William Bagwell]

Not a common behavior, plus very short (10 - 12 seconds) but you are most welcome to extract the audio from these two videos.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiopqWPkPUoSqkID_I0OSSw/videos

Have six more ranging from 1 to 17 seconds still on my phone.

[BeeMaster2]

BeeScientist,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Which Bristol do.you live in, please update your location to include state or country.
I don?t have any recordings but it would bee easy to connect a microphone to a hive and then subject the hive to different stressors.
Please let us know what your results are.
Jim Altmiller

[Michael Bush]

Yea, Bristol doesn't narrow it down much:

Bristol, UK
Bristol, Quebec Canada
Bristol, New Brunswick, Canada
Bristol, Nova Scotia, Canada
Bristol Bay, AK, USA
Bristol, Colorado, USA
Bristol, Connecticut, USA
Bristol, Florida, USA
Bristol, Georgia, USA
Bristol, Illinois, USA
Bristol, Indiana, USA
Bristol, Maine, USA
Bristol, Maryland, USA
Bristol County, Massachusetts, USA
Bristol Township, Minnesota, USA
Bristol, New Hampshire, USA
Bristol, New Hampshire, USA
Bristol, New York, USA
Bristol, Perry County, Ohio, USA
Bristol Township, Morgan County, Ohio, USA
Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA
Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Bristol County, Rhode Island, USA
Bristol, South Dakota, USA
Bristol, Tennessee, USA
Bristol, Texas, USA
Bristol, Vermont, USA
Bristol, Virginia, USA
Bristol, Wisconsin
Bristol, Kenosha County, Wisconsin

[BeeScientist]

Hi Will, Ben, Michael, Phillip,

Thank you all for your replies. I am in Bristol, England (where there is only one Bristol, which is why I didn't think to be specific!), I'll update my profile.

Thank you all for your suggestions for how to get some sounds and where I might find some pre-recorded.

Philip, you asked "Do you mean a swarm or colony?":

The acoustic data we aquired was from a bee swarm that was sitting in a tree near to the hive. We noticed that the pitch of the swarm changed in response to passing pollutants (Bristol is a city, so think cars etc.) and analysed an audio recording from that. We noticed that the fequencies in the buzzing changed in the presence of the pollutant and surmised that it was acting as some sort of stress (?) - hence we're after business-as-usual recordings of a swarm and maybe some recordings of when they are stressed by other things to see if the acoustic signatures match.

We believe that the same effect might be noticed in the colony too, it's just that we happen to have data from a swarm. The winter is approaching and the bees are settling in now, so we have missed our chance to go out and get fresh recordings.

The "humming sound when ventilating the hive" is what I believe I am looking for, but I am drawing links in my mind between changes in pitch in the swarm and in the hive where there may be no links at all.

Sorry that I haven't been able to be more specific, we're not sure exactly what we're trying to find yet.

BeeScientist 

[BeeMaster2]

BeeScientist,
What you are hearing is more than likely just the bees trying to remove the pollutants from the air jn the swarm ball. It is the same thing that happens when we blow smoke in the hive. I never realized that bees would react to pollution like that. Good catch.
You could use a hive to detect trucks that are putting out too much pollution if you put the hive next to the road.
The Russian KGB used to mark suspect foreigners with female cricket hormones on their coats. They paid people to sit on city streets in key locations with male crickets. When the foreigners walked by the crickets would chirp and the KGB was notified of their location. If the foreigners used disguises this gave them away.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Jim that is amazing information related to crickets and the KGB. I learn something every day.


BeeScientest I agree with Jim, you made a very good catch with the open air swarms reaction to truck exhaust fumes, odors, or pollutants (if you will). 

Concerning an established (enclosed) hive in relation to the occasional passing by, overly polluting trucks. I kind of have my doubts you will get the same results or reactions because the odors are not blown directly into the hive as when the beekeeper uses smoke (as described by Jim) when considering the small entrance of an established Langstroth Bee Hive for example. (Unless the traffic is VERY heavy and the air is over taken with what you described as pollutants).

I don't know if the small 'bee' opening or access, will allow enough pollutant to make the different in the honey bees reaction, 'under normal circumstances' as opposed to the open swarm which is 'directly exposed' to any strange or unpleasant odors such as an occasional overly pollutant truck passing by or perhaps natural odors and disturbances such as smoke passing through the open air and affecting the 'swarms' behavior. (again depending of the level of pollutants in the air). May I suggest you and your team use a meter which records air born pollutant levels, including carbon dioxide, in conjunction with your experiments while recording the bees reaction.

Your findings and questions are very interesting. Please stay in contact with us here at Beemaster while keeping us updated on your progress as you proceed in your studies.

Sincerely,
Phillip

[TheHoneyPump]

Step 1:  Goto any calm happy beehive on a warm evening at dusk.  Best done at the end of a day of moderate nectar flow.  This will give happy humming and some fanning noises.
Step 2:  Put your phone on record and slide it into the entrance on the bottom board
Step 3:  Wait ... record 10-30 seconds of the happy bees humming
Step 4:  Vigorously bang on the lid and sides of the hive for 10 seconds.  Wait 5 seconds. Bang it up again.
Step 5:  Wait ... record the next 30 seconds to 1 min of the agitated bees which then calm down a minute or two later
Step 6:  Remove the phone and stop recording
Step 7:  Upload/PM or whatever ... sending the recording to the requester

If you are looking for difference in effect of agitation vs pollutants.  In step 4 substitute the gonging of the hive with puffs from a regular beehive smoker that has an objectionable substance put in the canister. For example;  they REALLY do not like the smell of burning cellulose of leftover thymol based pads, or formic pads, or an oily rag, in a hot smoker.  OR;  At step 4, pour in a few dribbles of bee-go under the lid.  Bee creative and have fun experimenting with various ways of thoroughly ticking off your bees.  .. all in the guise of science!  ;)

Hope that helps!

[FloridaGardener]

I'm glad someone started a thread about sounds. 

When something big is happening I can hear several different sounds...  They are hard to describe in words but if you played them for a beekeeper, they would likely recognize the sound.

"Boo-hoo-hoo" only "bmm hmm hmm"  sort of a crying kid-whiney sound, when something is wrong (like the hive is about to collapse from beetle slime). If it looks ok on the top but I hear that sound, then I need to take it apart quick, and fix what's wrong.

"sports car engine"  - Loud fanning - too hot, need ventilation. Drops down in volume very soon when styrofoam insulation goes on top.

"factory sound"  - steady busy hum of nectar dehydration.  This one smells extra good, too.

angry sort of revving up roar - robbing

"white noise" queenless roar, steady haahhhhhhhhh sound

[The15thMember]

I'm glad someone started a thread about sounds. 

When something big is happening I can hear several different sounds...  They are hard to describe in words but if you played them for a beekeeper, they would likely recognize the sound.

"Boo-hoo-hoo" only "bmm hmm hmm"  sort of a crying kid-whiney sound, when something is wrong (like the hive is about to collapse from beetle slime). If it looks ok on the top but I hear that sound, then I need to take it apart quick, and fix what's wrong.

"sports car engine"  - Loud fanning - too hot, need ventilation. Drops down in volume very soon when styrofoam insulation goes on top.

"factory sound"  - steady busy hum of nectar dehydration.  This one smells extra good, too.

angry sort of revving up roar - robbing

"white noise" queenless roar, steady haahhhhhhhhh sound

Good descriptions, FG.  I know each of the sounds you are talking about.  I agree, it's difficult to describe to someone who hasn't ever heard them.   

[The15thMember]

BeeScientist, I'm not sure if you are still looking for a recording, but the podcast I mentioned previously in reply #3 posted a recording of a swarm just a week ago.  The episode is called "Swarm Vibroacoustics" and it's a recording of the sounds from inside a swarming colony.  For anyone else, it's a seriously interesting listen, you hear all sorts of little bee noises you rarely hear.  It's also very relaxing, for a beekeeper at least. 

[Ben Framed]

Good find Reagan. I am adding the link for that recording on that site; Beekeeper Confidential "Swarm Vibroacoustics"

Phillip

https://beekeeperconfidential.podbean.com/e/swarm-vibroacoustics/