According to this story on the BBC News website listening to what is going on the hive may help work out what is going on and, more importantly, assist with diagnosis of hive health or swarming.  Interestingly enough this story appears in their Technology section and not Science/Environment.  Also interesting, to me, is that the recorder is describes as being ‘about the size of an iPhone’ or an HTC Galaxy I guess, or almost any other smartphone but then Apple would have tried to sue – now you know it is a technology story, and it shows how we have moved on. In the old days it probably would have been described as being about the size of a pack of 20 cigarettes!

Will this story ever develop and appear again?  Forgive me if I am cynical about this.

In the meantime we suggest you keep carrying out those inspections.