Nature is all around us, but in our busy lives, many of the calls from nature go unnoticed. This is especially true for nature that doesn’t call very loud. Angelitas are a species of stingless bee native to Central & South America. Only measuring 4mm in diameter, these barely audible insects are easy to miss, but carry so much magic.

Angleita’s build their hives within hollow spaces, like the trunks of trees, water tanks, and sewer drain covers. The only exposure to the outside world is a small straw made of wax, that is used as the entrance and exit to the hive. What might we learn from a species whose greatest defence is its inconspicuous nature?

Hive Talk is an instrument used to magnify the potential for communication between Angelita’s and Humans. Laser diode sensors are placed in front of the hive entrance to capture the rate of traffic–the data collected is then transmitted to LEDs from within the instrument.

The audio that is emitted from Hive Talk is a live recording captured using a sensitive microphone attached near to the entrance to the hive. To modulate the buzz from the hive, the user hovers their hand over Hive Talk’s chutes. Each chute alters the pitch, reverb, and decay in different ways–allowing for creative and collaborative communication between human and Angelita.