Roaring

Did you know that bees roar?

We opened the hive today after a long break in Scotland, where incidentally beekeeping is limited to mostly the mainland (goodness that sounded a bit like I was wearing an anorak then), and had the now familiar roar from the bees. It is also a bit like a hello now that I have got used to it and it feels friendly.  When I move the frames around sometimes I might knock the bees, I get a little mini roar then. I find it a comforting sound, a bit of interaction.

It isn’t at all though, its a warning. It is to alert the bees that something is happening and that they are being disturbed, there might be a threat, and to me, to let me know to just be careful please.

There is another kind of roar that beehives make that is a bit scarier, that is the roar of a queenless hive. This I hope not to hear at all. Lets not think about that one today.