# 2017 Solar Eclipse - Historical Accounts of Bees During a Solar Eclipse



## reidflys (Jan 14, 2011)

I've got a seat reserved on my friends porch in Clarksville TN. It's the best place for the eclipse. Their renting out tent space in their yard. However, this really makes me want to hang with my bees instead! Maybe I'll throw some in a NUC box and take them with me!!


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## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

reidflys said:


> I've got a seat reserved on my friends porch in Clarksville TN. It's the best place for the eclipse. Their renting out tent space in their yard. However, this really makes me want to hang with my bees instead! Maybe I'll throw some in a NUC box and take them with me!!


If you take your bees, that would insure you have sufficient room for your tent when people clear out.  
Join Here: 2017 Solar Eclipse Honeybee Watch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/443670439329534/


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## ABK (May 9, 2016)

I am curious about this, but am I missing something? The previous accounts don't seem to have any interesting information about bees' interactions with solar eclipses..they just stop flying because it's dark out. Pretty predictable. I wouldn't say that a multimeter showing less output on a solar panel during an eclipse interesting or unpredictable..


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## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

ABK said:


> I am curious about this, but am I missing something? The previous accounts don't seem to have any interesting information about bees' interactions with solar eclipses..they just stop flying because it's dark out. Pretty predictable. I wouldn't say that a multimeter showing less output on a solar panel during an eclipse interesting or unpredictable..


Point taken, but none of the mentions of bee behavior during an eclipse in the references below would have written down if the author did not think it of interest to the reader. Do you know what time during an eclipse flight ceases completely? Do you know what time during a eclipse bees start returning to their hive? Do you know what time during an eclipse bees start exiting the hive? Do you know what temperature change during an eclipse might effect behavior. As far as I am aware, there has never been video recordings of bee behavior during an eclipse, so this alone would be unprecedented. There is allot of interesting observations to be made. If one believes there is nothing of interest during an eclipse, I might suggest that during the eclipse might be a good time to go take a nap.  best wishes - Joe

References:

(1) History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania: June 6, 1806 Natural Phenomena of Pioneer Days.
(2) BEHAVIOUR OF THE ROCK BEES, APIS DORSATA FABR., DURINGA PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IN INDIAby M. L. ROONWAL, F.N.I., Director, Zoological Survey of India,34 Chittaranjan Avenue, Calcutta 12
(3) Activity of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera:Apidae) and some spiders (Araneidae) during the 1991 total solar eclipse in Costa Rica
(4) Eclipse: The Celestial Phenomenon That Changed the Course of History - 2001
(5) The total solar eclipse, 1900
(6) Why did hippos miss breakfast?
(7) Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Volume 70 - 1936


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

You mean you didn't know that honey bees turn into ZOMbees during eclipses?
The movie Swarm was filmed during an eclipse. 













Just kiddin.


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