The hard-of-hearing beekeeper

[Dornfield]

I'm quite hard of hearing in both ears, particularly my right. I have slight tinnitus in both ears. I treated my hives (3 Nationals) with oxalic acid vapour last weekend with my mentor, as I am still a relative newbee. Upon gassing one hive in particular, he commented "Ah yes, here that buzzzz?". Honestly, no.

Is there anyone who has the same issue of hearing deficit and has found a good method of 'assisted listening' to the hive activity from the outside? I'm considering pinching my wife's stethoscope (NHS Respiratory Consultant: I'm sure she doesn't need it as there is not much happening in the world of respiratory medicine at the moment....) but wondered whether anyone had come up with any better bespoke or commercially available solution?

Thanks as always.

Brian

 

[Wilco]

Hand on the side of the hive to detect the change in vibration?

Or these-- price creeping up, used to be about £12:

https://www.thesafetysupplycompany....lsTS1uiM48FAw2_wHK6FSbu2_KDpV7sIaArwNEALw_wcB
Edit: to clarify, whilst it may seem counterintuitive, these have a mic in them which is relatively sensitive and when volume is turned up I can hear more than I can without them on.

 

[E&MBees]

I have a bone anchored hearing aid which transmits sound via my skull to the cochlea, bypassing the middle ear. The aid is linked to my mobile phone via blue tooth. If I need to listen to the colony and I’m worried I might miss something I record the sound on my phone and play it back. I have tried placing an ear against the hive but it doesn’t work for me. Have you considered asking for an audiology assessment.

 

[Nannysbees]

It's so frustrating isn't it, as I work with Deaf students it's the little things that hearing people take for granted. I have signed to deaf person about beekeeping and the questions to explain sounds at the most challenging. The vibrating from the hive isn't strong enough to feel either.

 

[Nannysbees]

I have a bone anchored hearing aid which transmits sound via my skull to the cochlea, bypassing the middle ear. The aid is linked to my mobile phone via blue tooth. If I need to listen to the colony and I’m worried I might miss something I record the sound on my phone and play it back. I have tried placing an ear against the hive but it doesn’t work for me. Have you considered asking for an audiology assessment.

How long have you had your cochlear

 

[E&MBees]

How long have you had your cochlear

About 4-5 years. I’ve had hearing aids since childhood. They stopped being effective in my 30’s. It took a while for the surgery to be approved, but I was very fortunate and the NHS agreed to provide it. This is what I have:


It attaches to my head, behind my ear via a ‘press stud’. The sound is echoey to start with, but the brain adapts. I can stream music, the radio and mobile phone calls to it.

 

[Nannysbees]

About 4-5 years. I’ve had hearing aids since childhood. They stopped being effective in my 30’s. It took a while for the surgery to be approved, but I was very fortunate and the NHS agreed to provide it. This is what I have:

View attachment 29588
It attaches to my head, behind my ear via a ‘press stud’. The sound is echoey to start with, but the brain adapts. I can stream music, the radio and mobile phone calls to it.

Amazing, very controversial within the deaf community, but revolutionised access to the hearing world. One of my students born profoundly Deaf had no speech until the age of 9 had the implant and wow, came on leaps and bounds. Apart from a very slight monotone his speech is incredible

 

[victor meldrew]

About 4-5 years. I’ve had hearing aids since childhood. They stopped being effective in my 30’s. It took a while for the surgery to be approved, but I was very fortunate and the NHS agreed to provide it. This is what I have:

View attachment 29588
It attaches to my head, behind my ear via a ‘press stud’. The sound is echoey to start with, but the brain adapts. I can stream music, the radio and mobile phone calls to it.

My hearing aids are losing their ability to alleviate my declining hearing .
however, I still manage to communicate.
sometimes deafness can be an asset

 

[Arfermo]

I'm quite hard of hearing in both ears, particularly my right. I have slight tinnitus in both ears. I treated my hives (3 Nationals) with oxalic acid vapour last weekend with my mentor, as I am still a relative newbee. Upon gassing one hive in particular, he commented "Ah yes, here that buzzzz?". Honestly, no.

Is there anyone who has the same issue of hearing deficit and has found a good method of 'assisted listening' to the hive activity from the outside? I'm considering pinching my wife's stethoscope (NHS Respiratory Consultant: I'm sure she doesn't need it as there is not much happening in the world of respiratory medicine at the moment....) but wondered whether anyone had come up with any better bespoke or commercially available solution?

Thanks as always.

Brian

Can't see any point. Just get the job done and get out. My son-in-law regularly hands me my NHS hearing aid to emphasize some point he wants to make. Soddin kids are so rude these days!!

 

[enrico]

Can't see any point. Just get the job done and get out. My son-in-law regularly hands me my NHS hearing aid to emphasize some point he wants to make. Soddin kids are so rude these days!!

I have mine in all day every day, otherwise I miss bird songs and struggle with understanding speech. Mine is partly old age and partly wearing a motorcycle crash helmet with speakers in. ( When I was riding the bike for business purposes before anybody makes a sarcastic quip). I have just had new NHS ones which I can control from a phone app but stupidly they won't pick up Bluetooth. Would be so simple!

 

[Dornfield]

I wear an NHS hearing aid in my right ear, when I remember to put it in! The hearing loss in the right on was due to a viral infection that went into the inner ear, and completely wiped my balance for several days (and VIOLENTLY bouts of illness), twice over within a week. I spent a couple of months being prodded and poked for "query Menieure's Disease" and facing losing my driving licence. Eventually, judged not Menieure's and no repeat within the last three years.
It's the tinnitus that probably stops me hearing the buzzing form the outside: quiet enough to ignore most of the time, but load enough to interfere with hearing the bees. Diving and viral infections: I miss silence.

 

[Nannysbees]

I wear an NHS hearing aid in my right ear, when I remember to put it in! The hearing loss in the right on was due to a viral infection that went into the inner ear, and completely wiped my balance for several days (and VIOLENTLY bouts of illness), twice over within a week. I spent a couple of months being prodded and poked for "query Menieure's Disease" and facing losing my driving licence. Eventually, judged not Menieure's and no repeat within the last three years.
It's the tinnitus that probably stops me hearing the buzzing form the outside: quiet enough to ignore most of the time, but load enough to interfere with hearing the bees. Diving and viral infections: I miss silence.

Tinnitus must be a nightmare, one student I worked with had it so bad she had a pillow to go to bed that played soothing music to go to sleep as the Tinnitus was so bad. She had to wear headphones in exams to help her concentrate. Poor girl

 

[E&MBees]

Tinnitus must be a nightmare, one student I worked with had it so bad she had a pillow to go to bed that played soothing music to go to sleep as the Tinnitus was so bad. She had to wear headphones in exams to help her concentrate. Poor girl

Don’t suppose you have any details regarding the pillow? Sounds amazing. I’ve tried white noise but it blends with the tinnitus.

Found it. Thanks for mentioning.

 

[E&MBees]

I miss silence.

Me too!

 

[Swarm]

I have Tinnitus on the left side, it's not terribly bad but silence has gone. "I miss silence" I certainly understand, I remember those moments when you could hear nothing. Can be a nuisance trying to get to sleep, the last thing you want to do is acknowledge the noise.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Tinnitus must be a nightmare

It bloody is - got progressively worse with me over the last ten years, in a way I'm lucky, having worked in a noisy environment most of my life I can usually zone it out, it doesn't affect my sleep but it does sometimes take over when I'm having a bit of quiet time in the evenings

 

[Swarm]

Cross post. I was amazed how well you managed with my Merthyr dialect

Me too!

 

[E&MBees]

What is interesting about tinnitus is the different noises that it produces. My standard one, which I’ve had since I was 9yrs is like the marching of feet on gravel. What do others have?

 

[Monbees]

I miss silence.
[/QUOTE]
I must have known it at some time, but I can't remember silence.

 

[Swarm]

What is interesting about tinnitus is the different noises that it produces. My standard one, which I’ve had since I was 9yrs is like the marching of feet on gravel. What do others have?

High pitched whine that fluctuates.