Buzzing In The Dark: How Honey Bees React To A Solar Eclipse April 8th 2024

[@timmiller2192]

I was doing hive inspections, they sure became more aggressive through the eclipse. Maybe it was because the foragers were returning.

[@spider2914]

I'm in central Illinois and the birds started chirping, the geese started coming back to the pond and the bees did come back to the hive, something to see!

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

Thanks for sharing! We were in the path of 98% totality and boy does that last 2% matter, it got dim enough to make street lights come on, and the shadows on pavement were REALLY weird, and it feels like the temperature dropped a few degrees, and that was just the barest fingernail of sun showing behind the moon. I don't think our bees cared much. The robins had been calling all afternoon and I don't recall any other bird noises that were out of place, the cardinals and redwing blackbirds and sparros and finches all kept doing their things. Thankfully even though we were in a city park with other people, nobody was loud, I don't think there were even any idiot barky dogs. Everyone was just quietly observing, and even passing around eclipse viewing glasses to strangers who didn't have any. I think it actually got darker in 2017 or whenever the last one was, that one I was watching from my balcony with a pinhole camera, and I remember the lighting just generally beeing way weirder than this time.

[@keithspillman]

Enjoyed the video Fred!!! We only went around 80% here but the results on my live feed were very similar to yours. Foragers flew home....took a break...and went back to work. I did have a hive orienting during the event and they never really reacted at all. Just kept on doing their thing!!! Thanks as always for your above average photography!!! 😉

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much, and I appreciate that you took a moment to comment :) You're right, Keith, there was surprising activity even during total darkness. But they really slowed hive activity for a while after.

[@brucklay227]

Most interesting. I remember well that we had an eclipse in the UK in the early 90’s. I wasn’t that interested in bees at that time. What was noticeable was eerie silence; no birds tutoring, the dogs were confused and the light either side of the eclipse changed to a Strange greenish colour. It did take several minutes following the eclipse for normality to be restored.

[@FrederickDunn]

That's a great memory, thanks for sharing :)

[@bryanbetournay5557]

Great video Fred. I live in northern Ontario. And we didn’t get much of a view here, so thanks for sharing.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment :)

[@davidhorsley4657]

In Kerrville TX the crickets started chirping during totality. I wasn't expecting that.

[@FrederickDunn]

That's cool, and shows how quickly they adapt to darkness to get thier messages out there :)

[@mschroed99]

My hives had a ton of activity at the entrance during the dimming phase and once the ending phase began activity calmed way down.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

My bees didn’t seem affected by the eclipse onset but when full sun came back the landing boards were slammed with foragers. We were 80 to 90% coverage. Thanks Fred!

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

@jonathanbutler3833 I’m thinking that since we didn’t get completely dark they were just held up in the field like they were got caught out too late and when the sun came back out they all flew straight back and just flooded the entrances.

[@mihaiilie8808]

The fireworks shooting during the Eclipse. What a genius 😂.

[@jenjohnson2984]

I’m also in the country and also get ATVs running everywhere when I’m trying to enjoy my bees. Thanks for sharing all your awesome work!

[@FrederickDunn]

And you'd think country living is about nature sounds. :) We do get those quiet moments though, usually between 6 AM and 11 AM on a Sunday :)

[@JaneFeibelman]

Absolutely lovely. Thank you.

[@sgradaigh]

Amazing! We were so blessed to have a totally clear day.

[@sandracimonetti5307]

Only a partial eclipse here in Northeast Tennessee, but it was completely cloud covered and misting during the eclipse. The temperature did drop about 10 degrees. Thank you for the video!

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment :) The temperature drop here wasn't very noticeable since it was already cloud covered. Maybe 3 degrees.

[@Darren_Nicola]

Very interesting , perfect silence these days is hard to find but I think you did a fabulous job , well done Fred

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, Darren, as always :)

[@Ittiz]

You were extremely lucky you lived in the path of totality. I drove my kids out 3 and a half hours to northern Vermont to see it. The drive home took almost 10 hours, 5 of which were sitting in stand still traffic in Franconia NH.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yikes, sitting in Traffic? What part of Vermont did you end up in? My family originates from Vermont :) still have lots of relatives there.

[@Ittiz]

@@FrederickDunn I've driven a lot in many cities across the country and that was the worse traffic I have ever been in. Also, the scanty cell network in the region couldn't handle the throngs of people. So, no traffic GPS either. We stopped in Barton to watch the Eclipse. We we're going to go toward Burlington, but they changed to forecast for western VT to cloudy. So we stayed more to the east to insure clear skies.

[@autumnhillbees]

Great Video!! Very interesting to see the beehavior 😂 Thanks for sharing!!

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment :)

[@lambbrookfarm4528]

I observed similar behavior, 97.8% totality, the temperature dropped approximately 7 degrees F. Nice sunspot and seeing the wind gusts on the pond is very cool. Thanks for the show!

[@rpurdy4821]

Thanks for the detailed video. I guess the eclipse didn't bother the bees much at all.🐝 The peepers tried to get some use out of it though 😂.🐸 Btw, you always find good music to accompany your videos.👍🏼

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks so much! I'm glad that music choice landed... you never know, but no one has complained yet :)

[@HaroldKeiner]

Good video, Fred. We had too many clouds here in NE PA to even see the sun. Thanks.

[@yolandai.m.kelkboom-vos5797]

Thank you, we live in Aruba and love you youtube video's. We had a total eclips here on febr. 26 1998 was very interesting. We loved your video from the total eclipse.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment, I really do appreciate it. :)

[@frenchie9952]

A beautiful sequence Fred, thank you

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much, and I appreciate that you took a moment to comment :)

[@timothymitchell8310]

Nice Fred ! Thank you. Why did you choose your Mediterranean chickens I think you’ve mentioned it before but I don’t remember. Was it for there defensive characteristics against birds of prey.

[@FrederickDunn]

Those are Minorca Chickens, and they are fast on their feet as well as capable of flying from predators. Best ranging foragers I've ever had. :)

[@kennith.]

Thank you for sharing, some amazing sequences.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment :)

[@g.sutherland2917]

Another great video. Thank You.

[@thehiveandthehoneybee9547]

i new you would do something on the eclipse uncle fred!!!!! didn't disappoint!!!!! was that a crane in your pond there?????

[@FrederickDunn]

I make it a point never to disappoint you :) Yes, that was a Heron. The piliated woodpecker was a nice surprise also.

[@mlfarm]

Well done Fredrick!!!! Appreciate the time and effort put into this video. Interesting bee activity. Love the pond time lapse and music. Is that a big fish at 59:40 in front of the stump?

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment, I really do appreciate it. :) Yes, that's a KOI... they are breeding this time of year. :)

[@helsconceit]

Here in Indiana we have daffodils bloomed

[@billrobinson5301]

Nice recording Fred, thanks so much for your time and dedication. Viewing the eclipse here in Erie, PA was awesome and inspiring.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Bill! So glad you were out there enjoying it. I wish I'd found a quieter location for my observations, but it was too late to change. I hope your bees are behaving!

[@lauriepalmeira7519]

This is great - thank you. :)

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome!

[@russellkoopman3004]

Thanks Fred. Here in MN we just got dim for a bit. You really got dark. Have a great week.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to watch and post a comment, I really do appreciate it. :) You have a great week also!

[@kimberlypaulson4545]

Sorry the clouds and noisy neighbors interfered with all your setup work still very enjoyable video. Thank you very much! P.S. what is swimming in your pond?

[@FrederickDunn]

Not at all what I was hoping for, oh well.

[@jamesfleming6874]

Great work!!!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@ruthbrew8131]

Thank you so much! Much better than watching it on the TV. Was that a bird mimicking a phone at 45 minutes? We don't have Blue Jays in the UK

[@FrederickDunn]

Blue Jays make interesting, often referred to as "swingset" noises, but they aren't mimicks. Even my wife said that it sounded like a jungle out there :) We are fortunate to have so much diversity here. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@tommychew6544]

Great video, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I had an upper 90 percentile range here in my area. My Red Winged Black Birds in my area have already moved north in my area, I did recognize their call at totality in your area. Animals and insects have learned what this is by their time adapting as compared to us humans. The movie Apocalypto has a scene where it shows humans being aware of celestial events and using them in their favor to rule others because they knew what was coming. Tracking these events has been going on longer than most think possible. I recognized the call of those Eruopean House Sparrows you mentioned, as we call them. Those were my main target as someone who had a Purple Martin colony set up. I was a sniper of those and European Starlings. Those two introduced species have wiped out so many of our native birds that it can't even be quantified. I know this is off the mark of your channel's goal but, I used to snipe hundreds of them off my Purple Martin houses every year, used to keep a tally. I couldn't have a colony otherwise. Invasive species have been a real threat and continue to be today, I can't even keep the Martins going today because of small city rules and I found out I'm only allowed 8 frames of bees in the city limits now per lot. I own a lot and a half so I assume I could have 12 frames, letting them swarm is my only choice, I'm fine with that though. Just ignorant people with no understanding of the rules they pass. Wish I didn't live in such an ignorant small city though, they just trumpeted planting a butterfly garden on city property a few years ago. There is no talking to them, so don't even try that route.

[@FrederickDunn]

Oh ya, I could absolutely see where knowledge of an event like an eclipse could be used to control a population that didn't know it was coming. 8-frames of bees? What? I've learned many years ago, that if the right people aren't present when they have city or township meetings, they can get some really weird ordnances passed. I try to be present for any of those public hearings, and have managed to stop many restrictions against chickens and bees, but only because I was there. Small town politics are often based on one person's dislike for something specific and then getting zoning and regulations posted. I'm with you, bring information to the uninformed prior to making decisions.

[@brendawydeven2934]

What kind of flowers are those. I tried looking up boxwood and got trees. I thought that's what you Saud they were. Evertime I try to get pics of anything in sky it's always cloudy. Great video as always ❤

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Brenda, boxwood comes as shrubs, bushes, and trees. All the same as far as the flowers are concerned.

[@brendawydeven2934]

@@FrederickDunn thank you

[@tina_mg]

Awesome video!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much :)

[@mihaiilie8808]

23:15 those are italian bees. Agressive and yellow. Since the bees use the Sun to orient themselves ( they see the Sun even through the clouds), the total eclipse is disturbing for them.

[@alecjaquez9194]

Thanks for such great job on that video I saw it twice.. on the last time I even fall sleep 😴 for a few minutes listening to the bee while I was waiting to leave… your observation of different points of views, Make this video perfect for a documentary 😂

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you liked it!

[@timothymitchell8310]

Nice title!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks! :)

[@wadebarnes6720]

The bird sounds like an alarm system he's saying it's dark it's dark and it's supposed to day

[@jasonseaward8506]

Your totality was really long, you are very lucky. I was on the border of totality so i only had a few mins

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, we had quite a long period of darkenss, but that was also assisted by the badly timed cloud cover we had. My wife thought something was wrong with her phone when watching the video and her screen was black. :)

[@andywhetsell8828]

I split a hive an hour before eclipse started. Sunny and great weather but bees extremely angry. Split 2 more today without issue. Be 20 years till the next eclipse but I know I won’t be splitting that day.

[@FrederickDunn]

For my county, it will be almost a hundred years for the next totality. But in the U.S. I think it's in 2044. :) Yep, bees get angsty if the weather isn't good :)

[@kimberlypaulson4545]

You answered me as i was editing. What is swimming in your pond?

[@FrederickDunn]

Koi are the largest fish in it. BUT, there was also a Pilliated Woodpecker, and a Heron walked through... that water is 12 feet deep at the center. :)

[@kimberlypaulson4545]

@FrederickDunn thank you! I didn't think you'd have a big ol' goldfish but there it is. I love your videos.

[@ez3333]

🎉😇👍

[@PYehl1]

we had gunshots around our farm after it. Kind of scared our visitors. Their kid was like why would be shooting a gun so much.... yeah very good question. =/

[@FrederickDunn]

I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't gun shots as that's pretty much the norm around here. You're right, just finding the interrupted sounds of nature is more difficult than many think.