Why are bees buzzing?

The buzz comes from the bees' wings

The buzzing of bees is an unmistakable sound that we beekeepers are now able to recognize very clearly. Many insects buzz but the sound emitted by the bees is particular and distinguishable.

The vibrations emitted come from the very fast beating of their four wings that create a very distinct sound.

Even today it is an interesting curiosity for biologists who continue to study bees in all their behavior. According to the data we currently have, it is likely that the buzz comes exclusively from the wings but it is possible that there is also a subtle amplification from their body. This is because the wings are closely connected to the thoracic muscles and the beats cause a contraction of the entire structure and the consequent vibration of each ring of the chest.

The different types of buzzing and the communication of bees

Like all the actions that bees perform, the buzzing is not a random process but it is used by bees to communicate with each other .

These insects, in their evolution have given life to an impeccable model in which the forms of communication have increasingly refined. The world of bees has created a system capable of self-managing and adapting to any situation. The collaboration of these animals is crazy!

Bees use different buzzes to transfer information. The different types of buzz serve as a method of communication for the entire hive, especially to signal a threat.

This is a survival mechanism that coordinates all the behaviors of a swarm. Depending on the context, bees change the frequency and speed of their vibrations . When bees want to alert the swarm of danger, their wings vibrate at up to 500 beats per second !

When a swarm wants to communicate something, the buzz takes very different forms. An example is that of an orphaned family. In this case when a swarm is deprived of the queen of him it begins to emit a really loud buzz that beekeepers detect easily. </ P>

Queen bees also emit different vibrations depending on the situation. In this case the queen's song changes according to whether she is a virgin or fertile. It is possible to distinguish the sounds emitted by the two clearly. Usually the song of the virgins is much more acute and harsh than that of the fertile bees which instead turns out to be much more regulated and mature.

The more or less rapid vibration of bees produces different sounds: the bee excited and ready to sting, emits a particular sound, which is very different from that of the foraging bee that has found a new source of food.

Analyzing all the various swarm behaviors is important for beekeepers. Obviously being able to recognize every process, every sound and every natural mechanism of bees takes time. Only through careful observation and a lot of dedication will it be possible to become an expert.

Many beekeepers are able to distinguish the various types of buzz and understand what bees are communicating and what is happening in the hives, which a middle ear cannot do.

A buzz that occurs more frequently is the one emitted by the swarms when they discover a new home, that is the hive that the beekeeper has made available to them.

The situation is different with a fertile queen ready to swarm. In this case we are dealing with a subtle, difficult to detect sound that is part of a natural mechanism that is almost impossible to control. In fact, very few perceived this sound.

Using the wings

The bee wings are very small based on the rest of the body. It is claimed that these animals are capable of defying the laws of physics. This is because it is surprising how such small wings can support and allow the insect to fly.

The use of wings by bees does not have a single function but is also important for other operations to be carried out such as:

• the ventilation process to give honey its final shape;
• the heating of the hive and the queen bee;
• the motion of flight;
• buzzing and communication.

The song of the queen bees

Have you ever heard of the song of the queen bees ? Sovereign bees are able to "sing" through their buzz from the first moments of life. Singing is used as a form of warning to her sisters. We know in fact that every colony is ruled by a queen, when the other bees create more royal cells, at the moment of her birth, the strongest one will kill all the others to take the throne.

When a virgin queen sings, it means she is ready to fight and she uses this method to scare her competitors.

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