>Hi Joe,
>
>I would be interested in receiving information concerning this subject.
>My electronics knowledge is a little limited, but would like to see the
>description(schematic?) of the apidictor.
>
>This is a very exciting idea.
>
>Paul
>
>Joe Hemmens wrote:
>> Several years later I was lucky to come across an article by an UK
>> beekeeper called Rex Boys.  It described the work of a beekeeper and
>> BBC sound engineer called Eddie Woods from the late thirties to the
>> late fifties.  Rex (who was a colleague of Eddie Woods and who still lectures
>> about his work) very kindly sent me some articles about Eddie Woods'
>> work.
>> He found that an apiary of 30 colonies could be 'measured'  in about 3
>> minutes
>>
>> Most of the development of the Apidictors was carried out in the late
>> forties and early fifties and although I know little about
>> electronics I reckon this was pretty clever stuff.  The Apidictor was
>> produced in small numbers on a commercial basis,  but the price and
>> the attitude of beekeepers prevented it from becoming a success.
>>
>> My guess is that today an improved Apidictor could be produced in
>> quantity for little more than a couple of jars of honey.  I have
>> copies of the technical descriptions of the Apidictor if anyone is
>> interested.  Surely there must be a subscriber to Bee-Line who knows
>> about electronics!
>>
>> Eddie also had an article published in New Scientist in the fifties
>> describing the frequency of the worker's wingbeat.  As he describes
>> it,  previous measurements had been made by measuring the wingbeat of a
>> fanning worker or by mechanically restraining the bee (pinnning?!).
>> These give a figure of about 180 beats per second.  Because Eddie had
>> such a fine ear he could tell when playing keys on the piano and
>> comparing the sound with the buzz of a bee flying in his room that
>> this was incorrect.  He explained that the centre of motion of a bee
>> in flight changes and hence the frequency is about 250 beats per
>> second.  He later confirmed this with an oscilloscope.
>>
>> IBRA have copies of Eddie's work and the BBKA have put together a
>> tape made from rather aged recordings of  'Sounds from the Beehive'
>> including one called something like 'Murder in the Apiary'  which is
>> a recording of the emergence and battle of young queens and their
>> piping.
>>
>> I would be happy to forward any information that I have
>> available about the work of Eddie Woods to who anyone shares my rather
>> esoteric interest in the noises made by bees!
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Joe Hemmens
>
 
 
 
Sorry - I have not learned how to reply by snipping most of the previous
posting -->
I just wanted to add my twp cents worth:  Queens in cages, shipped in
quantity for requeening, are very interesting,in that thhheir individual
sou;nds are quite audible and not all exactly the same.  A little
imagination might make you think of a very special choir, as the multiple
tones are quite musical.  Incidentally such a package has its own quite
distinctive odor, too!
 
        Eunice
 
        "From the Cradle of Confederation"