roaring

[burren]

Why would a hive make loud "roaring" noises?

 

[Chris Luck]

Lost queen.

Chris

 

[VEG]

It is a sound you will remember

 

[burren]

Chris, is that the only reason and is that for definite? Thanks

 

[beeno]

Hi Burren,
When they do it you know instantly. If you are not sure then they are not doing it! They can still be queenless and not do it. The queenless roar.

 

[burren]

They were definitely doing it, it was very loud! So is queenlessness the only reason for this sound?

 

[Tom Bick]

I went through a friends hive today we checked the test frame from last week and no QC, possibly a virgin in the hive or on mating flight? strange as we had a dud QC that prompted the first test frame? so we decided to try one more test frame and as we closed the hive the roar was very noticeable??

 

[Swarm]

Well they will certainly rev up if they get a bit kranky, you know when to close up and leave.

 

[victor meldrew]

Roaring occurs in the early evening after a successful days foraging . The bees are evaporating nectar
VM

 

[Chris Luck]

I don't think revving up is anything like roaring, nor is humming, buzzing or any other frantic activity.

The only times I've heard roaring are when a virgin queen fails to get back in the hive or is killed in the process...

...OR when a colony is entombed.

in both cases the colony knows it is doomed and panics, even though they will settle down and then hang on for possibly months.

Chris

 

[burren]

sooo many answers. It was a very loud roaring in the middle of the day all the while I was inspecting. I have not heard it before in three years of beekeeping. I ask because it was a hive with 4 supercedure cells ( 2011 queen) This has happened on all three hives lately with 2011 queens ( one is 23 days after queen emergence- no eggs yet and other is down to see eggs on 31st July (I left one and took other 3) queen should have hatched on 12th june and still no eggs yet. So am I still waiting or am I to assume no virgin is even in the hive with that roaring noise or that she didnt make it/ may not be viable now?

 

[Chris Luck]

All I can say is that "roaring" is roaring, the entire hive roars, it can't be mistaken for anything else because it's a sound that never comes from the colony in normal circumstances. If the Queen is recovered they relax again.

Chris

 

[thepliedes]

Hi, I've never heard this or anyone mentioning it. Do you mean just a really really loud buz which you can hear even when the roof is on?

 

[Queens59]

No - it really is a roar - not loud buzzing. It is hard to describe even when you have heard it. I had something very similar when a gave a completely, unhappy enormous Q- colony a mated queen in a cage. It was like a roar at a football match when the home team scores!!

 

[Chris Luck]

It's a ROAR, the hive almost vibrates, it really isn't like any other sound they make, it's as simple as that.

If you hear it, you know it.

Chris

 

[Jimbo]

If you put bees into an apidea without the queen cell within minutes they will start to roar. The roar is quite loud. When you insert a ripe queen cell within minutes the roar will stop. This is the only time I hear roaring but there may be other reasons.

 

[user 6228]

No - it really is a roar - not loud buzzing. It is hard to describe even when you have heard it. I had something very similar when a gave a completely, unhappy enormous Q- colony a mated queen in a cage. It was like a roar at a football match when the home team scores!!

you reminded me of the sequence in "Men in Black" where J opens the luggage locker and the thousands of tiny aliens with antennae inside roar "All hail J"
well it made me smile

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I put a caged queen in a largish colony that was queenless as they greeted her with a roar of acceptance. Quite noticable.

 

[keith pierce]

Hi, I've never heard this or anyone mentioning it. Do you mean just a really really loud buz which you can hear even when the roof is on?

Take a really roud buzz and crank up the volume, turn down the tone and push the base button

 

[madasafish]

The roaring can best be described as a football crowd booing the ref when he awards a penalty - to the Opposition.

Very noticeable and can be heard 10 metres away. It's a "check your suit ties and put on thick gloves "call. All fanning at once.