>Can you give us some idea of when the "sound" begins, how long does it last?
I've never taken notes on this. I've just observed and have more of a "feel" than a set of rules. Someone else may have observed different behavior with their bees, but here's a stab at this.
>EXAMPLE - Raising a new queen:
>Begins w/ cup? Capped cell?
It begins before they start and changes gradually until she hatches but could have other things mixed in. Especially if they decide to swarm.
>Is this sound make along w/ the "piping"?
>How long does she pipe?
Hard to say. It usually seems to have something to do with other queen cells. The bees will keep the emerged queen, who is the one piping, from the emerging queens, who are the ones quacking. The bees may even confine the emerging queen. It will probably continue until there is only one queen because of whatever outcome the workers have in mind. Whether that is killing the free one, or swarming with the free one, or whatever.
>Please define for
>1) being robbed
They will keep it up night and day until the robbing stops. I always wonder why they keep making it at night when the robbers have gone home.
>2) raising new queen
From when they decide to until the new queen is emerged. Then they make different sounds until she's laying.
>3) queenless
The most right after they discover, but I don't think it quite goes back to normal until after the new queen is laying.
>4) queen hatches (emereges?)
There is a lot of excitment in the hive. But mostly it lasts from when she starts quacking until she emerges. But doesn't really go back to normal until she is laying.
>5) preparing to swarm
The change sounds as long as 10 days, but it's most noticable about 24 hours before they leave.