Calling Down a Swarm

[bobba]

My apologies if this has been covered before, but I did a quick search and could not find anything.

So the idea is when you have a swarm of bees in the air, you get a cupple of metal objects, old pans, crowbars etc. Then you bang them together to make a loud noise. Apparently the bees think a storm is coming so will settle nearby.

There are some youtubes if you search "Calling Down a Swarm".

Have any of you tried this or seen it used?

If so did it work?

Thanks as always

 

[Curley]

I believe it is also called tanging. Never tried it but can't see how it would work as bees are deaf. I suspect it is folklore but hey ho, there are more things in heaven and earth.....

 

[Ian123]

It’s an old wives tale, probably done as much so when chasing a swarm down the road the neighbours did not nick it. If you chase a swarm long enough they will stop eventually

 

[enrico]

Love to see a video of you trying it!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s an old wives tale, probably done as much so when chasing a swarm down the road the neighbours did not nick it. If you chase a swarm long enough they will stop eventually

I can tell you my bees, well used to be my bees, can fly faster than Stan can run

 

[Swarm]

'Tanging', as explained by an elderly beekeeping friend, was not actually a means of calling down a swarm but more a declaration that they were your bees. If you kept them in sight while doing so then fine, if not they were fair game anyone.

 

[Murox]

Your poor Stan - he needs a lot of medals I reckon.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

of course, rather than all the clanging and banging, you could always try and get hold of a bee whistle, virtually silent, it can be used to coax the swarm down to a more manageable height.
Like gold dust nowadays though, yet to see one personally.

 

[Curley]

you could always try and get hold of a bee whistle,

There you go JBM

https://www.beekeeping-equipment.com/whistle-bee-it.html

 

[Apiarisnt]

http://researchingfoodhistory.--------.com/2017/05/

calling-bees-tanging-or-ringing.html

(url split in two to be accepted by the forum form)

 

[Apiarisnt]

Hear, Hear

• Dreller, C. and W.H. Kirchner 1993a. Hearing in honeybees: localization of the auditory sense organ. J. Comp. Physiol. A 173: 275-279.
• Dreller, C. and W.H. Kirchner 1993b. How bees perceive the information in the dance language. Naturwissenschaften 80: 319-321.
• Kirchner, W.H. 1993. Acoustical communication in honeybees. Apidologie 24: 297-307.
• Kirchner, W.H. 1994. Hearing in honeybees: The mechanical response of the bee’s antenna to near field sound. J. Comp. Physiol. A 175: 261-265.
• Kirchner, W.H., C. Dreller and W.F. Towne 1991. Hearing in honeybees: Operant conditioning and spontaneous reactions to airborne sound. J. Comp. Physiol. A 168: 85-89.
• Towne, W.F. and W.H. Kirchner 1989. Hearing in honey bees: detection of air-particle oscillations. Science 244: 686-688.

 

[Curley]

Thanks for these papers- fascinating stuff. I wouldn't fancy shaving a bee's eye! So bees are not deaf. But the ranges used in these experiments was measured in millimetres. I'm struggling to work out from the papers whether that means that tanging (or whistling ) may work. The papers refer to really close range stuff as in the waggle dance but then sound is vibrations in the air so does it matter how close you are if its loud enough.

 

[For want of a better word]

Try a piece of flexible tube around a yard long and two inches diameter... open at both ends.
Tune to note A when whirled around.

Possibly in the realms of the paranormal... standing on the intersection of leylines may help.

On the day before a full moon when Sirius is rising in the East and Jupiter is being eclipsed by Mars......

well it works for me!

Chons da

 

[bobba]

I was skeptical after watching the youtubes. It does appear to work in the videos. But the single occasion I have seen a swarm, had I have started clanging some metal, then low and behold, it would have appeared to work.

In spite of my skeptical nature, I thought I would see what you lot think.

So bees can hear ergo it works. Thanks guys, I am off to install wind chimes below all my swarm traps.

I have never caught a swarm in a trap before. But if I catch one now It will prove beyond doubt that chimes help attract swarms.

 

[For want of a better word]

I was skeptical after watching the youtubes. It does appear to work in the videos. But the single occasion I have seen a swarm, had I have started clanging some metal, then low and behold, it would have appeared to work.

In spite of my skeptical nature, I thought I would see what you lot think.

So bees can hear ergo it works. Thanks guys, I am off to install wind chimes below all my swarm traps.

I have never caught a swarm in a trap before. But if I catch one now It will prove beyond doubt that chimes help attract swarms.

Once upon a time there were some posts on here about Sun hives... hung below a pyramid and bedected in crystals claims were made that it focused cosmic energy on the bees to prevent them from swarming... no mention was made of wind chimes.... but...

anyone remember that debarkle...... winter debates start today!!

Chons da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Once upon a time there were some posts on here about Sun hives... hung below a pyramid and bedected in crystals claims were made that it focused cosmic energy on the bees to prevent them from swarming... no mention was made of wind chimes.... but...

anyone remember that debarkle...... winter debates start today!!

Chons da

Their name cropped up on another thread this week - cited as a respected authority on bees and beekeeping

 

[pargyle]

JBM # post 8

It's funny you should say that ... my hand turned silent bee taming whistles are now back in stock and can be supplied UK postage and packed free for a very modest £10 ... guaranteed if blown in front of the hive whilst bees are flying to aid foragers to return ...

For an extra fiver I can supply a magic bee wand and tin foil hat that are also guaranteed to assist with any beekeeping problems when used in conjunction with a decent bee book and this forum ...

 

[pargyle]

Once upon a time there were some posts on here about Sun hives... hung below a pyramid and bedected in crystals claims were made that it focused cosmic energy on the bees to prevent them from swarming... no mention was made of wind chimes.... but...

anyone remember that debarkle...... winter debates start today!!

Chons da

It's surprising what a poor memory you have of those threads ... yes the sun hive was discussed but I never saw anyone suggesting they needed any assistance from crystals or other accoutrements... it is recommended that they are hung beneath a canopy but only to protect the hives which are made from straw in the same way as skeps are made...poke fun if you wish as Heidi doesn't drop in any more but she's a very nice lady and she does know her beekeeping...

 

[For want of a better word]

It's surprising what a poor memory you have of those threads ... yes the sun hive was discussed but I never saw anyone suggesting they needed any assistance from crystals or other accoutrements... it is recommended that they are hung beneath a canopy but only to protect the hives which are made from straw in the same way as skeps are made...poke fun if you wish as Heidi doesn't drop in any more but she's a very nice lady and she does know her beekeeping...

How very double dare you... poke fun indeed!

Some may poke fun at my very successful location of bait hives on swarm hotspots....intersections of ley lines... simply detected using a couple of bent bits of iron rod.

Just a word of caution needed as there are some very weird and wacky beekeepers out there among the great unwashed!

I know of one lady who claims to detect if a colony is about to swarm by holding a silver ring on a thread above a colony and seeing if the ring rotates or swings... she can even tell if the colony is queenless.



Chons da

 

[pargyle]

I know of one lady who claims to detect if a colony is about to swarm by holding a silver ring on a thread above a colony and seeing if the ring rotates or swings... she can even tell if the colony is queenless.



Chons da

It's funny that you should say that as my patent swarm predicting hand turned ring complete with natural hemp suspension cord has just become available .. with secondary smaller ring for establishing if the colony is queenright. No need for inspections, simply hold the ring over the hive and follow the instructions ..

Yours for a very modest price of £10 including free UK Post and Packing.