Settling a swarm by means of banging a tin drum

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Unless of course you are standing by your hive as it swarms?

In which case, they will soon settle anyway! Sounds like an urban myth (or rural mutts).

I somehow doubt a swarm, flying to its new chosen home, is going to take any notice whatsoever as they pass by…
 
Afternoon, on two occasions now I've heard of folk when a swarms in flight, they would bang on a tin drum not just one person but as many folk as possible, the swarm would then settle, is there any true in this?
Would the sound waves interfere with there flight path?
Is it to represent thunder?
These accounts are from farming family members.
What are your thoughts?
The idea I like best is that the tanging was a method of telling the rest of the neighbourhood to keep their hands off because they were your bees and you were intending to retrieve them. Then as time went by the original reason faded (not passed on to the next generation) but the practice continued so a 'reason' needed to be found. Speculation of course!
 
Afternoon, on two occasions now I've heard of folk when a swarms in flight, they would bang on a tin drum not just one person but as many folk as possible, the swarm would then settle, is there any true in this?
Would the sound waves interfere with there flight path?
Is it to represent thunder?
These accounts are from farming family members.
What are your thoughts?
Barmy seems to fit?
 
My understanding is that a lot of noise was made to advertise the fact that it was YOUR swarm and you were effectively claiming ownership.
 
Aye maybe if your very local to folk with bees unless it was a swarm travelling from a few miles up the valley.
No neighbours for 2 miles
But the point is that the lore has probably been corrupted over time so what people did 50(?) years ago has no bearing on the theory in distant history. If a coincidental settling of the swarm occurred then that would go to strengthen the false reasoning.
 
local to folk with bees unless it was a swarm travelling from a few miles up the valley.
I guess it would have alerted a chain of people who knew the location of the beekeeper (an ancient WhatsApp) to get him or her to deal with the swarm, whether local bees or recent arrivals from afar.
 

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