Is it possible the subterranean creatures are responding to the trees and
plants starting to send nutrients to the branches?  Many trees such as
Maples start flowing nutrients to the buds before spring.  My understand is
it based a lot on daylight hours (not totally as maples in IL start in Dec,
and maples in Vermont wait until Feb)  Surely the ants and such  could
sense or hear this I would suspect that bees in a hollow also could. Of
course it doesn't explain bees in a box,  unless there is a sound out of our
range but in the bees.

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