New look at the causes of "hive singing", described in 1952 by the inventor of the Apidictor Eddy Woods. Analytic research of Apivox Auditor team.
In 22 hives in France and a few in Britain, on the central frame of the nest were installed accelerometers for fixing vibrations. The collection of materials was carried out throughout the year. The final materials of the study say, that the only positive result of the project was the establishment of a signal with a peak at a frequency close to 240 Hz. And it appears with an interval of 21-26 days, which can be related to the brood development cycle. In addition, in the winter it was not fixed. No mathematical processing of the data has helped to obtain a result suitable for forecasting. But we obtained it ! We confirm the results. But the whole problem is that the data, suitable for analysis, gave the only hive of the project, which was in Britain. Here, in 1 hive, there were installed accelerometers on each frame in the nest, total 8 accelerometers. But these materials were rejected by researchers, as not confirming their main idea. What new data did we get ... • A vibrational signal at 240Hz, appearing on the brood frame and the acoustic "beehive singing" signal, described by Woods, is the same signal produced by the bee, vibrating with her thorax. The signal propagates as a vibration within the honeycomb and as a sound within the hive. Saying further "signal" we mean exactly this signal. • The signal appears only on the frames with open brood during its feeding and care. The signal disappears after sealing the brood. This means, that the signal is a sign of activity of the bees-nurses. • The appearance of this signal after the swarm goes away and before the appearance of a new queen, says, that the signal is not exactly related to the queen itself, but relates to the results of her activity - to the brood. • The signal may repeats after 21-26 days, or not. It depends on the visiting of the frame by the queen for egg laying. The diagram allows you to trace the way through the hive of the old queen, and the young one, which began her life in a hive after the swarm has gone. • A low power signal is always present in the background of the hive, when there is an open brood in it. It is accompanied by the aeration signal of the brood at a frequency of 120 Hz. But its strength is not great, since in the family, as a rule, there are no more than 1-2 frames of open brood at a time. • The signal is not suitable for general brood prediction, if only one accelerometer is used, or if you use acoustic control. With accelerometers on each frame, the prognosis and control of the general state of brood in the family is possible. • Signal with very great strength and for a short time appears before swarming, on all frames of the hive. This is due to the passage of the queen along all the hive frames for laying eggs in free cells. The most powerfull peak of the signal occurs after egg laying in the queen cells, and one-time laying of a huge amount of royal jelly by nursing bees into queen cells, scattered throughout the hive. • The signal appears at the first moment after the loss of the queen, as a stage in the preparation of bees to lay "fistulous" queen cells. At this point, bees-nurses, apparently, increase the feeding of larvae, in order to use some of them, for growing a new queen. Apparently, the feeding, of all open brood in the hive increasing. And the smaller its quantity, the more abundant the feeding. • Signal of medium strength and for a long time, appears with loss of the queen by family, and after working bees begin laying not fertilized eggs. The signal continues until the complete death of the family. It's suitable for diagnosing problems with the queen, and this is makes Apivox Auditor. Thus, it can be said that obtained data, allowing to monitor the presence of open brood in the family, and indirectly predict the beginning of swarming and problems with the queen, using method of acoustic control as the most sparing for the family of bees. When using this method, it is not necessary to open the hive and disturb bees.
Keywords
beekeeping, apicultura, apiculture, apicoltura
Countries
Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechia, Greece, Spain, France, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom, United States