diff --git a/src/bees-context.cc b/src/bees-context.cc
index 7602e21..ff3e3ca 100644
--- a/src/bees-context.cc
+++ b/src/bees-context.cc
@@ -230,8 +230,10 @@ BeesContext::dedup(const BeesRangePair &brp_in)
 	BeesAddress first_addr(brp.first.fd(), brp.first.begin());
 	BeesAddress second_addr(brp.second.fd(), brp.second.begin());
 
-	if (first_addr.get_physical_or_zero() == second_addr.get_physical_or_zero()) {
-		BEESLOGTRACE("equal physical addresses in dedup");
+	const auto first_gpoz = first_addr.get_physical_or_zero();
+	const auto second_gpoz = second_addr.get_physical_or_zero();
+	if (first_gpoz == second_gpoz) {
+		BEESLOGDEBUG("equal physical addresses " << first_addr << " and " << second_addr << " in dedup");
 		BEESCOUNT(bug_dedup_same_physical);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/bees-roots.cc b/src/bees-roots.cc
index 0d03594..d72531e 100644
--- a/src/bees-roots.cc
+++ b/src/bees-roots.cc
@@ -2013,7 +2013,7 @@ BeesRoots::open_root_nocache(uint64_t rootid)
 	BEESCOUNT(root_parent_open_try);
 	Fd parent_fd = open_root(parent_rootid);
 	if (!parent_fd) {
-		BEESLOGTRACE("no parent_fd");
+		BEESLOGDEBUG("no parent_fd for " << parent_rootid);
 		BEESCOUNT(root_parent_open_fail);
 		return Fd();
 	}
@@ -2036,7 +2036,7 @@ BeesRoots::open_root_nocache(uint64_t rootid)
 		BEESTRACE("dirid " << dirid << " path " << ino.m_paths.at(0));
 		parent_fd = bees_openat(parent_fd, ino.m_paths.at(0).c_str(), FLAGS_OPEN_DIR);
 		if (!parent_fd) {
-			BEESLOGTRACE("no parent_fd from dirid");
+			BEESLOGDEBUG("no parent_fd from dirid " << dirid << " in parent_rootid " << parent_rootid);
 			BEESCOUNT(root_parent_path_open_fail);
 			return Fd();
 		}
@@ -2044,7 +2044,7 @@ BeesRoots::open_root_nocache(uint64_t rootid)
 	BEESTRACE("openat(" << name_fd(parent_fd) << ", " << name << ")");
 	Fd rv = bees_openat(parent_fd, name.c_str(), FLAGS_OPEN_DIR);
 	if (!rv) {
-		BEESLOGTRACE("open failed for name " << name << ": " << strerror(errno));
+		BEESLOGDEBUG("open failed for name " << name << " in parent_fd " << name_fd(parent_fd) << ": " << strerror(errno));
 		BEESCOUNT(root_open_fail);
 		return rv;
 	}
diff --git a/src/bees-trace.cc b/src/bees-trace.cc
index 81b70d5..bc75678 100644
--- a/src/bees-trace.cc
+++ b/src/bees-trace.cc
@@ -28,18 +28,18 @@ BeesTracer::~BeesTracer()
 {
 	if (!tl_silent && exception_check()) {
 		if (tl_first) {
-			BEESLOGNOTICE("--- BEGIN TRACE --- exception ---");
+			BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: --- BEGIN TRACE --- exception ---");
 			tl_first = false;
 		}
 		try {
 			m_func();
 		} catch (exception &e) {
-			BEESLOGNOTICE("Nested exception: " << e.what());
+			BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: Nested exception: " << e.what());
 		} catch (...) {
-			BEESLOGNOTICE("Nested exception ...");
+			BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: Nested exception ...");
 		}
 		if (!m_next_tracer) {
-			BEESLOGNOTICE("---  END  TRACE --- exception ---");
+			BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: ---  END  TRACE --- exception ---");
 		}
 	}
 	tl_next_tracer = m_next_tracer;
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ void
 BeesTracer::trace_now()
 {
 	BeesTracer *tp = tl_next_tracer;
-	BEESLOGNOTICE("--- BEGIN TRACE ---");
+	BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: --- BEGIN TRACE ---");
 	while (tp) {
 		tp->m_func();
 		tp = tp->m_next_tracer;
 	}
-	BEESLOGNOTICE("---  END  TRACE ---");
+	BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: ---  END  TRACE ---");
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/src/bees-types.cc b/src/bees-types.cc
index 3ee21d3..68b6ce4 100644
--- a/src/bees-types.cc
+++ b/src/bees-types.cc
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ BeesRangePair::grow(shared_ptr<BeesContext> ctx, bool constrained)
 	}
 
 	if (first.overlaps(second)) {
-		BEESLOGTRACE("after grow, first " << first << "\n\toverlaps " << second);
+		BEESLOGDEBUG("after grow, first " << first << "\n\toverlaps " << second);
 		BEESCOUNT(bug_grow_pair_overlaps);
 	}
 
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ BeesAddress::magic_check(uint64_t flags)
 	static const unsigned recognized_flags = compressed_flags | delalloc_flags | ignore_flags | unusable_flags;
 
 	if (flags & ~recognized_flags) {
-		BEESLOGTRACE("Unrecognized flags in " << fiemap_extent_flags_ntoa(flags));
+		BEESLOGNOTICE("Unrecognized flags in " << fiemap_extent_flags_ntoa(flags));
 		m_addr = UNUSABLE;
 		// maybe we throw here?
 		BEESCOUNT(addr_unrecognized);
diff --git a/src/bees.cc b/src/bees.cc
index a8fa5ce..c447a99 100644
--- a/src/bees.cc
+++ b/src/bees.cc
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ bees_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			BEESLOGDEBUG("exception (ignored): " << s);
 			BEESCOUNT(exception_caught_silent);
 		} else {
-			BEESLOGNOTICE("\n\n*** EXCEPTION ***\n\t" << s << "\n***\n");
+			BEESLOGNOTICE("\n\nTRACE: *** EXCEPTION ***\n\t" << s << "\n***\n");
 			BEESCOUNT(exception_caught);
 		}
 	});
diff --git a/src/bees.h b/src/bees.h
index 888f91e..2cbe466 100644
--- a/src/bees.h
+++ b/src/bees.h
@@ -122,9 +122,9 @@ const int FLAGS_OPEN_FANOTIFY = O_RDWR | O_NOATIME | O_CLOEXEC | O_LARGEFILE;
 // macros ----------------------------------------
 
 #define BEESLOG(lv,x)   do { if (lv < bees_log_level) { Chatter __chatter(lv, BeesNote::get_name()); __chatter << x; } } while (0)
-#define BEESLOGTRACE(x) do { BEESLOG(LOG_DEBUG, x); BeesTracer::trace_now(); } while (0)
 
-#define BEESTRACE(x)   BeesTracer  SRSLY_WTF_C(beesTracer_,  __LINE__) ([&]()                 { BEESLOG(LOG_ERR, x << " at " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__);   })
+#define BEES_TRACE_LEVEL LOG_DEBUG
+#define BEESTRACE(x)   BeesTracer  SRSLY_WTF_C(beesTracer_,  __LINE__) ([&]()                 { BEESLOG(BEES_TRACE_LEVEL, "TRACE: " << x << " at " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__);   })
 #define BEESTOOLONG(x) BeesTooLong SRSLY_WTF_C(beesTooLong_, __LINE__) ([&](ostream &_btl_os) { _btl_os << x; })
 #define BEESNOTE(x)    BeesNote    SRSLY_WTF_C(beesNote_,    __LINE__) ([&](ostream &_btl_os) { _btl_os << x; })