Bee Hunting: Finding a Wild Colony of Honey Bees
Vložit
- čas přidán 17. 11. 2016
- One method of locating a colony of wild bees is called bee lining. In this video, we will join Prof. Tom Seeley as he tries to locate a wild colony of bees. He catches bees foraging on goldenrod and aster, feeds them concentrated sugar solution and determines the direction that they fly as they return to their colony. By painting identifying marks on some bees, he is able to measure their round trip time to get an estimate of the distance to the colony. With direction and distance established, he moves closer. Then, watching the bees, sees that they are living in a dead tree.
Ladies and gentlemen, retirement at its finest
That's what I thought!
But...om the plus side, I just retired and need to get a hobby, lol!
Looking forward to it
He is not retired, this is his research: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dyer_Seeley
I was about to say i think hes a college professor and professors work is never done! Lol
@@Handles-R-Lame You are quite right Matts. There are so many tantalizing mysteries about the inner workings of honey bee colonies. Will keep working with them for as long as I am able.
This guy is the Bob Ross of bees
This is exactly what I was thinking!
And over here we will put a happy little bee...
the bee whisperer
I thought Frederick Dunn is the Bob Ross of bees
Hmmm. Who is Bob Ross?
This might be the most wholesome video on the internet.
Hahaha right!
I'm watching this because I think I just found a wild honey bee hive on my property.
So Bob Ross of the bee's
@@CraZyGiRL5093 -- Cool! If you're interested in beekeeping, look up swarm catchers.
The "Mr. Rogers" of the Bee World.
"Actions building up here"
*zooms in on 5 bees silently slurping nectar"
🤣🤣 I died
Ha ha ha I just heard it ...
"Action is building up here"..
oh what a life...! Happy these he's make his day!!
Loved the
"Temptation is large" too
i laughed out loud like a second after he said that lol wow the drama the suspense of it all lol
So what do you do when your bees all go to your neighbor's hives?
I'm a first-year beekeeper and you've shown me one more aspect of the science of bees of which I was unaware. I knew it was possible to find a ferral bee colony but had no idea the process one would go about getting the job done. Looks like I've found one more book for my growing library about hive life.
Thank you, John. I am glad you found my little book on bee hunting, and I think you will find it a fun read and guide to this fun sport. One of the features of bee hunting is that it when you are doing it, you work with a small group of worker bees, and you get to know some of them as individuals. Makes one aware of the variety of the personalities of worker bees. For example, some work briskly, while others operate more leisurely.
when i started to watch this video i thought that i wouldnt watch it more than like 1-2 minutes but it turnet that i watched whole video. so interesting and relaxing video.
I'm a new Bee lover.love this. , and I beleive this will work for me
Karelianguy, Same here. When he explained the process at the start of the video, I figured it would be like watching paint dry.. 25 minutes later I was still here; sorry to see this peaceful, entertaining video end! .. I was thoroughly captivated and was educated on something I never knew existed. I even tried to read all the comments, lol. Very nice surprise
Actually i didn't think that it's going to be an exciting experience but to be honest thank you for this 25 minute video of the best I've ever seen . WOW i just love it
How on earth calm person you are
THANK YOU
for real. it was interesting, informative, beautiful, good cuts. i love this video. ive watched it a few times. #lamenotlame
My grandfather showed me how he lined bees in the 1950's. He was a french speaking native American that lined bees for local farmers in western Ma. until WW1 to capture colonies and queens for the farmer's around Conway.
He used a flour and water paste that he mixed up to mark the bees in 3 locations on their backs for identification.
J P Lynch my grandad did something similar I remember my dad telling me! unfortunately he's not around . but reading other CZcams comments things started making sense! other people's comments are so informative! thanks for sharing your info...
Wow! 👍
A great memory
J P Lynch, I just saw this comment and am hoping to get a response from you even 5 years after the fact. My name is Christian Adams, I am trying to get as much info about American Bee Hunting as possible, especially from first hand sources, and assemble and document them as an academic project. I would love to talk sometime, if you can either respond to this or direct message me somehow with your email. Thanks
I wish I could have gone bee hunting with your grandfather, over in western Massachusetts. Sounds like he had deep experience with this craft.
Thank YOU, Ron. Great to know that you enjoyed watching this video, and that you discovered a wild colony. Hope it survives winter, despite nesting in the open.
This is by far the most peaceful, relaxing, awesome video I've watched in years
here from Shawn woods. I am a subscriber to this channel now. this was really interesting and informative
yup
Same!
Stephanie Ann yup. extremely interesting
Same. This was awesome!
Thanks!
In ecuador I lost three beehives when a storm with very strong winds knocked down the beehives. I will use this ancient method to find the colonies. if they are in a good place I will leave them and if they got settled in a place not very comfortable in my opinion or whitout future, I will take some boxes to give them again a large and comfortable house.
And as my grandmother said: "as long as there are bees, there will be life on mother earth"
good for you man. I hope all is well. Post a video of your findings
I doubt if this is a very ancient method.
Nice comment. I love bees too.
Wonderful video, thank you! Also, thank you for the great photography! I watch a lot of beekeeping and swarm catching videos. Your close-ups of the bees drinking and marking are the best I've ever seen.
Always start closer to the wood line if possible. Saves time. He was obviously demonstrating the method :) one of my favorite outdoor activities.
Thanks, I didn’t think of that!
This has to be the coolest thing I have seen in a very long time. I am just getting into beekeeping. I am beyond excited.
A very fascinating study. I could watch this type stuff for hours. Thanks for recording and for posting.
I've tried to determine the location/direction of feral/wild bees before watching this however this will help a lot in my current bee hunt. Thanks heaps.
Thank you for the feedback. Am glad that this video will help you with your bee hunting. There are lots of ways to do it, but I can say that the methods that I show work well! Have located more than 30 bee trees, using the methods shown, in New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Thank you for that very informative video! Nothing better than sitting in a beautiful field watching bees!
I think that what you're doing is a great thing for bees a nature in itself. Bees are suffering from a blight that's killing them off and this is a good thing!
Had to check this wasn't uploaded on April 1st, Bee Hunting sounds like the title of a Monty Python sketch, lol. Looks very peaceful and rewarding, loved the close ups of the bees that was very interesting in itself, what a great 25 minutes, loved it.
It's actually called bee lining.
funny i was actually thinking he looks a lot like Michael Palin from the side @ 22:00. was gonna comment and saw ur mention of Monty Python lol. And the more and more i watch him, this could very well be one of their sketches. It would've been hilarious!!
Nothing is more dangerous than a wounded mosquito
I have an old bee trap similar to the one you have. It was handed down to me from two generations of beekeepers Now I know how to use it. Great video!
Thank you, Carl, for your note. Am glad to know that my video helps solve the mystery of how to use your bee box. For more information, I highly recommend this book: Following the Wild Bees. The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting. Its author really knows his stuff!
I cut the small squares of comb from a frame of dark old comb from one of my hives. The sugar solution is a 50-50 mix of sugar and hot water. The anise scent is purchased at a grocery store, as a little bottle of anise extract (alcohol solution of the oil of anise seeds).
Thank you sir. Quite enjoyed this video and the knowledge it imparts. I'd also like to say thank you for the honeybee democracy. 2 years of studying on this subject and that book provided the bulk of my insight. Well done sir.
Can we use lemongrass oil instead of anise.
@@AS-ug2vq you might not attract the kind of attention you want lol... lemongrass oil might just lure you a whole swarm, depending on the time of year.
@@rosem7042 I tried, it didn't work. Doesn't work on Apis Cerena.
You certainly can use lemongrass oil, but for some reason, it does not work as well as anise extract. I discuss this matter in Chapter 2 of my book, Following the Wild Bees. The Art and Craft of Bee Hunting.
Thank you for the video it brings back great memories as a boy when my father taught me the skill of finding bee trees 45 years ago when the forest held many wild bee colonies. My best year was finding 5 bee trees the great joy of craving my initials into the tree to Mark the tree that it was mine.
Thank YOU, Bill, for letting me know that this video brings back great memories from 45 years ago. Good work at finding those 5 bee trees. Nice to know you had the time-honored experience of carving your initials in the bark of the bee trees you found as a bee hunter. Even though I don't cut down the bee trees that I find (or harm the colonies living in them), I still like to carve my initials in these trees. Tradition!
Here from Shawn woods also. Very interesting, thank you.
same lol
Same
Same. Thanks . . . .
Me too.
I came from Epic NPC man, but have been bingeing on the Dirt Rooster, so that's probably why I found this in the sidebar.
Fascinating! I’ve heard of this, but have never seen it demonstrated. Well done video and narrative. I would hope someday to have the time to pursue this.
Thank you.
Love this guy. I’ve learned so much from him. Can’t wait to try this way of finding bees this year.
Yep, you WILL have fun. One suggestion: before the snow melts, the plants flower, and you head out to try your hand at bee hunting, get a copy of my book, Following the Wild Bees, and give it a close read. You'll find it super helpful, and a fun read.
Prof. Seeley, this was one of the most interesting videos I've watched! Thank you for teaching us this!
"the action is building up here" .....* bees drink sugar water* 13:42
Phillip Dean there were more bees!
Nice show, I haven't seen this being done for 50 yrs,I remember this being done exactly the way you show as a young child, things like this used to be taught in school, you brought back a very fond memory !!
Very interesting. I had no idea that bee hunting/lining had ever been taught in school. I bet some kids would be interested, still. It is fun to watch bees close up.
Amaizing, there is a dude that thought this was a mouse trap, and he actually caught one.
P-Diddy He only caught the mouse because he made his own modifications to it. He pulled a "Mac Guyver" similar to the name he gave the gave the trap. Lol.
Kageryu
Oh yea, It's still pretty cool someone can turn a bee trap into a mousetrap
Thanks, Tom! I really enjoyed watching your video. Such amazing little critters, they are! I recently discovered a large feral colony that hangs suspended from the branches of a Coast Live Oak tree about 50 feet in the air. I visit it daily and take photographs to compare their building progress. I marvel at their instinctive ability to construct such intricate combs by utilizing hexagonal cells. Never a day spent studying mathematics or geometry and yet they can building these complex structures with such precision and uniformity. I am in awe of these little guys! Thanks again for sharing your hobby and passion for bees in this video! Two thumbs waaay up!
They are girls! The boys are just eating there.
Dear Mr. Charles Walcott and Mr. Tom Seeley,
Thank you for this wonderful presentation of Mr. Seeley’s journey of wild bee hunting. It was a lovely uninterrupted 24:24 minutes of my life. The book is certainly as fulfilling as this presentation of the live experience. I look forward to reading it.
To all who spent time and research on this project.. know you are very much appreciated. I love the Honey Bees 🐝 .
Thank you again.
Highest regards,
Marisha Ann
Thank you, Marisha Ann, for letting us know that you enjoyed watching this video. I hope you will be able to go bee hunting yourself next spring or summer. Best wishes, Tom Seeley
Well you are quite the peaceful person. Never change my friend.
The fact that a bee travels over a mile and returns home is absolutely amazing. I can’t believe that. I’m a pest technician as well. (I don’t kill bees unless they are nesting in a home)
When you consider their length and divide that by a mile. They travel 63,360 X's their body length if one inch long.
A person standing is about 12 inches (butt to belly long). That means a 12 miles or 24 miles round trip each time. My feet hurt just thinking about that.
@@redstone1999 right! Absolutely amazing little ladies. They really make our world possible as well.
came here from Shawn woods. caught a mouse in a bee trap lol
Jon-paul Pierce same lol
Its very hard to do the opposite .
Three year bee keeper here and I've never seen this before. Now it all makes sense. Thanks.
Heloo Mr. Bee Scientist, you look like Goodman with great love for Bees. Good bless You, Thank You for Youur scientiats job and Love for Bees. Heloo From Slovakia, country of bees honey, milk and mountains. I know one wild colony in Old pine tree with bears marks..
Great video ,
I used to do this hunting hornet hives .I removed a lot of their colonies .Because hornets are slower when they fly holding something , I managed to damage a lot of their colonies ,thus ,giving my bees another chance to live peacefully !
People mocked me at first believing my method naive ,but I proved it successfully .Having said that ,I found your bee hunting method interesting ,I will do it.Thanks
This is a awesome video you made and a very nice introduction to bee hunting. This is the first time I've ever seen a video about bees that is good. The very few I've seen in the past were people trying to get rid of wasp nests and those videos were more of a what not to do type of video with the people running from angry wasps. I will get your book and learn a lot more about how to get honey bees and raise my own. I have a friend who has some old hives and he told me moths will mess up the stored combs if left unused in a barn too long so I do have a little help to be able to get started on this hobby.
So interesting! I’d love to observe wild bees since I’m not able to keep my own hives right now. They are fascinating! Thank you for this video and the book. I saw that book before I found this video and it came up first when searching “wild bees” on amazon books
Cassie Higbee Hello Cassie
It’s like old fashion geocaching
Can you pray for me? 🙂
It's bee-o-cacheing.
I like how the colors he choose feels like he's givin the girls a makeover along with some sweets, pretty bloody adorable
Thank you Dr. Seeley..Fantastic. A big thank you for all your work and contributions to the "bee world."
You are welcome, Joe. It is a great pleasure to learn things about honey bees, and then to share these "finds."
Thank you Sir for creating this video.This was extremely educational and very nicely done.
Sugar water kills mass bee population. Use real honey instead.
@@TheElitesRdividingUs he's trying to find hives not feed bees
I just tried this for the first time. After viewing this video multiple times and purchasing and reading the book, I decided to give it a try. Talk about beginners luck. Within about 10 minutes I had bees coming in from 3 different directions. The bees from each direction had different coloring; one almost solid black, one with yellow banding 1/2 way down the abdomen, and the third with yellow orange banding on the entire abdomen. I was able to mark two bees and their away time ran from 4 minutes 45 seconds to 5 minutes 7 seconds. I'M EXCITED!
Way to go, Michael Davidson!
Sugar water makes honey bees sterile. Use only real honey when doing this
@@TheElitesRdividingUs Absolutely false Frosty. Beekeepers often feed hives sugar water in the spring and fall to supplement the nectar flow until the hive is strong. All foraging bees are female but not mated. They are capable of laying eggs but won't as long as the hive has a queen. If they do lay eggs they will only produce drones.
Using honey is actually BAD for the hives because it can contain bee viruses and spores or even mites which can kill the hive. Please don't tell people to feed bees honey unless it is honey from the hive they originate in, it is worse for the wild bees than surgar.
@@sierrainfinity1785 www.thelittlehoneybeecompany.com/blog/read_185365/why-leaving-sugar-water-out-for-bees-is-such-a-bad-idea.html
@@sierrainfinity1785 I also recommend watching this guy a bit. He shares very valuable information in his videos on keeping bees the right way....
czcams.com/video/UFP17VekChQ/video.html
Have not ever seen a video like this nor ever heard of doing this. My children, one of whom is an Eagle Scout, and the other is a Senior Cadet Scout, would have loved this and what a great project on a camping trip with BSA and GSA Troops! As my son visits my 40 acres in southern Michigan frequently, he may just love trying this. So am going to buy your book and send it to him for his 43rd birthday. Thank you for making this video❣️
Thank you for your words of appreciation. Given that your son owns 40 acres, it sounds like he has a great place to capture bees off flowers and establish bee lines. Bee hunting is likely to lead your son to places in the area that has never before explored.
Loved watching this. I've been watching lots of bee videos on CZcams. So much good info out there. Thanks Tom.
Thank you Tom Seeley for this amazing tutorial! I enjoyed how grounded and how focused you are! On my way to find your book!
Thank you. Given that you enjoyed the video, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy my little book about this way to enjoy a part of the natural world.
The old colored chalk method might work fine. I wonder how long the dusting of each bee would last. For me, it is fun to have some of the bees "permanently" labeled so I can recognize them throughout the hunt. For example, you learn to trust the "away times" of some bees (the speedsters) more than others, for estimating the distance to their home.
Worthwhile for anyone to watch. Perfect activity for any homeschooling family!
This was fantastic. I NEED to try this come spring. I've added the book to my wishlist.
Your welcome! And Thank You! Very interesting and informative Indeed 👍👍👍🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️
wow! one of the funnest videos I've seen on CZcams and very, very informative. What a fun activity, and such a good idea! Thank you for sharing!
Fascinating! Its great watching and learning about things I would likely never get to see in real life. Thanks for the demonstration! It was very clear, well presented and informative! It was also captivating to watch.
Excellent! Sure wish I knew about using water based paint to mark the bees, could have saved a lot of time.
I'm a new hobby topbar beekeeper. I enjoy being around the bees. Loved your video and bought the book. Will be building the box. This looks like a wonderful sunny summer day pastime. Thank you
NNY Bees Chi Xu no
I followed my compass directly from binging on Shawn Woods mouse trap videos. Funny he caught a mouse in what was learned to be a be old box. Now I will have to binge here on bees. 8) Excellent educational fun video.
Fascinating. And you can see at 14:04 how fast the bee on the far left drinks.
Sugar water will eventually kill most of the bees in the surrounding areas. Use only real honey when doing this
THIS was AWESOME. I have been a hunter, and loved just being in the woods hunting and climbing trees to sit in. NOW I am working on creating a small homestead and remembering my Scout days for my bee keeping Merrit Badge. I have the perfect location now to go out and hunt bees.
Yes, the pleasure of bee hunting comes from the combination of engaging with worker honey bees and being in some natural setting. It can be field, or woods, or whatever. Anywhere you find some bees on flowers. One of my favorite bee hunts started in the cemetery of the Catholic Church is a tiny town in downeast Maine.
Very interesting, I also came here from Shawn Woods site, Mouse trap Monday.
I'm come from Korea thanks for sharing your technology. Have a good luck .
Thank you. Informative, and a relaxed and gentle presentation style. Great camera work - I enjoyed the close ups of the bees on the syrup.
Ohh now I know where that phrase "B-line it that way" (bee-line) comes from. Heh cool
@Charles Walcott and Prof. Tom Seeley....I love it you are a hero....how cool is that!!!
This was very cool and I've always loved bees! I came here from Shawn woods channel. He used a bee trap for mice!
Very very nicely demonstrated and explained. My only problem would be that I'd be trapping the bees from my own apiary. However, I really thoroughly enjoyed your method. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us who are waiting out winter weather so we can get back into our bee yards. Thumbs UP of course! Side note, ever consider using a BugZooka to collect the bees you need? Very effective and fast.
If you give this sport a try, you might well find that your beeline leads away from your apiary to an unknown colony in a tree (or a neighbor's unknown apiary). I suggest that you start at least a quarter mile from your hives. When I've gone bee hunting and the bees lead me to a hive rather than a bee tree, I have still enjoyed the process and the satisfaction of discovery.
Well that was just lovely. I enjoyed watching, it was the next best thing to being there! Thank you to Professor Seeley and to the videographer for sharing your afternoon and your knowledge.
Thank you, for letting me, and the filmmaker, Professor Charles Walcott, know that you enjoyed this video.
Thank you! That was so interesting to watch. I want to get into beekeeping but I have to get over my fear of bees to begin with! It just seems so interesting.
Thanks for the excellent method. A great way to spend an afternoon. A friends method is simply to watch a creek for bees and track the ones leaving in the same direction and follow. A little harder to see them in route but nothing to carry.
Wow! I was meditating and stretching and came up on this and did not intend to watch it. Watch the whole thing. It was better than my meditation app!! Good job dude :-)
What he's doing is domesticating wild honey bees. It's nice to know that the practice has not been lost just improved upon. In the old days they also use to kill off the bees to harvest the honey, very few preserved the bees. But it was value so much that they learned to preserve them as well. Thank you preserver. Some may not consider it important but they don't understand what the lose of these insects would mean to the world food supplies.
Thanks for sharing these excellent tips! I am going to play with this this summer. I think I have that book in a bee book collection I aquired a few years ago. I'll have to unpack books soon and have a read!
This was a amazing video it really was a eye opener, my favorite part was 13:02 when the bee was eating and you could see the man's reflection in the sugar syrup pools. Very cool
I really enjoyed watching, I would love to try this one day, looks like a lot of fun, thank you for taking the time to show us how its done.
I like the box with the trap doors. I used to bee hunt back in the 70 and 80's. We would find them watering in a stream of water and sprinkle a little flour on their backs to time how far to their tree. I would use an eyedropper to put sugar water on a butterfly flower that a bee was working on, to get a coarse. In the fall when flowers were scarce , watermelon rinds worked good, sitting on fence post. I would keep carrying it closer to the bee tree, with bees still sitting on the rind. One trick I would use is to get a good coarse, then go over to the side and get another course, using triangulation to pinpoint the bee tree.
Thank you for sharing your memories and methods of bee hunting. My memories, too, go back to the 70s and 80s. And like you, I liked to find honey bees collecting water, for this meant that a colony was nearby, often only a 100 or so yards away. (Bees like handy water sources.) I never used a watermelon rind for a feeder, but I can see this would work well... sweet tasting and sweet smelling! And yep, triangulation is mighty handy, if you are in a place where you can get two clear lines of sight.
that was so interesting, I followed a mouse trap video that took me here! loved your video !!
This man is like the Bob Ross of bee hunting. Production was amazing as well, thanks !
Came here from Mouse trap Monday. Never realized where the term "Bee line" came from. Thanks for posting.
Professor Seeley, thank you. You've given me a knew hobby. As if the blacksmithing, building flintlock rifles and fishing and hunting weren't enough now you've got me hunting bees. Maybe I'll find a hive of these Japanese giant wasps we've gotten lately. I've an idea for a trap that might work.
A very intellectual and informative video that will help a lot of new bed hunters and keepers, this is the best I have ever seen on the subject, thankyou
Idk how many times i have watched this. Thank you for being you!
From Scotland, found this fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic video and teaching! I bought your book and reading it and this truly helped!!!
Bright idea in bee hunting without harming the environment..much highly recommended for Bee hunters..
my son found your video and has tried it out. He now has several hives that he has caught thank you for what you do .Keep up the good work
Your son is taking hives out of the wild? Shame on you.
Sugar water kills honey bee colonies by making the males sterile. Use only real honey as food when doing this. Sugar water is the worst food source you can give to honey bees
This is fantastic! It was such a peaceful and interesting activity you shared. Thank you for spending the time to make this video.
You've heard the term...Make a Bee-Line for it.... this is the way I was taught and I've read it a long time ago how Indians followed the Bee-Line.
you did a good job, it's exactly as I've known it all these years.
I would have never thought to do it this way. Smart and .. patient.
Not sure if I commented before a while back but I made a bee catcher box the same as yours, I set up with the paint to mark the bees ,a compass, little chair to sit on and a jar lid with a sponge in it to put the bee sugar syrup, I document it also times and direction with a little note book, I really enjoy this , it’s so much fun but in built up areas not easy to locate there whereabouts as you can’t venture onto peoples places, I’m yet to try it out in the open like this. I’m now a bee hunter lol. 👍
Welcome to the community of bee hunters, Ytanythinggoes. We are continuing a tradition of bee hunting that goes back many centuries, though these days we do not damage the bees' nests and steal their honey. I am glad that you, too, find it enjoyable to find bees on flowers, give them food, and then try to track them to their home. A wonderful way to enjoy nature.
Thomas Seeley ... absolutely Thomas, it’s just a fun way to get outdoors and connect with nature, I do love the bees and just admire watching them come and feed at my little station on the bee trap box. I find it interesting to find where there living , as it’s winter here in Australia the bees really appreciate the sugar syrup as there’s not to much at all around for them so , I feel giving them a feed after my fun is hopefully helpful to them to get them through the winter and build there colonies up. All round I enjoy them a lot , thanks for the kind message , much appreciated, cheers.🍻 👍
That is very cool and interesting. At 13:42 " the action is building up here" sitting in a field of wildflowers, just struck me kind of funny. lol
I for one was impressed and delighted.It never had occurred to me that this was a practice.Much less how much wisdom was needed for the sport.Something that will be an interest for me from here on out.
This is amazing to see. Im not a bee keeper but I am so glad to learn this. Thank you sir
Great demo. Thx for sharing!
Loved the video, bought the book and tomorrow will build the beebox.
thanks!!
Thank you for interesting video of internal life of the hive and honey bees. Best wishes to the entomologists and beekeepers and bumble-bees and insect lovers!
Thank you, I will be doing this in the spring. Might be faster than swarm box. I will put a swarm box near one when I find one.
Very, very informative. Now I know where the term "B-line" comes from. Please keep up the good work.
This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while
So much great info -- 3/4 cup sugar with enough water to disolve it -- thank you!
What a great way to spend a couple of hours on a sunny day! Lovely video