Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting

by Thomas D. Seeley

A how-to book on an exhilarating outdoor activity and a unique meditation on the pleasures of the natural world

Following the Wild Bees is a delightful foray into the pastime of bee hunting, an exhilarating outdoor activity that used to be practiced widely but which few people know about today. Thomas Seeley, a world authority on honey bees, vividly describes the history and science behind this lost pastime and how anyone can do it. Following the Wild Bees is both a unique meditation on the pleasures of the natural world and a guide to the ingenious methods that compose the craft of the bee hunter.

Seeley explains how one finds a patch of flowers humming with honey bees, captures and sumptuously feeds the bees, and then releases and follows them, step-by-step in whatever direction they fly, back to their secret residence in a hollow tree, old building, or abandoned hive. The bee hunter's reward is a thrilling encounter with nature that challenges mind and body while also giving new insights into the remarkable behavior of honey bees living in the wild.

Drawing on decades of experience as a bee hunter and bee biologist, Seeley weaves informative discussions of the biology of wild honey bees with colorful historical anecdotes, personal insights, and beautiful photos. Whether you're a bee enthusiast or just curious about the natural world, Following the Wild Bees is the ideal companion for newcomers to bee hunting and a rare treat for armchair naturalists.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Biology, Animals, Natural History, Ecology

184 pages, Hardcover

Published May 3, 2016

About the author

Thomas D. Seeley is professor of biology at Cornell University and a passionate beekeeper. He is the author of The Wisdom of the Hive and Honeybee Ecology (Princeton).

Reviews

[Hal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book both informative and an escape. I had never heard of bee hunting before, but now I would love to try it. One of things I really enjoyed was the idea that just being out in nature and spending time observing, in this case bees, is both the goal and reward of the activity. The author works to find the bee's nest without harming or bothering the bees in any way. I loved this.

[Natalie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly enthralling & precious

[Peter A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful unique book, written with enthusiasm, experience, scientific insight, and a naturalist’s perspective of the world of nature and the world of the honey bee. It can be read by anyone interested in nature, interested in the activity of hunting bees, or those interested in the science of bee behavior.

Why am I so positive about this book, other than the attributes I just mentioned? During my undergraduate years at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, I took a couple of classes in folklore, one of which (taught by George Carey) required us to do a project. I had been in in contact with a cousin of my mother’s father, Vernon Shattuck, who also lived in western Massachusetts, who actually did bee hunting. He invited me along a couple of times to learn how to hunt bees. In addition to the specific skills and tools, it was wonderful to be outside in the late fall, on a warm day, enjoying one of the few last warm days before the winter. And of course, because of the lateness in the plant season, meaning most of the plants bees collect pollen from were dead, the mixture of anise and sugar water was a great attractant for the bees. We did track the bees for a bit into the woods, but I do not think we found them. But it is a memory I remember fondly.

I would never thought that a person would write a book about this skill, but I was wrong. The author has been hunting/tracking bees for nearly forty years, part recreation, and part for this scientific research. One extremely positive aspects of the book is how it combines the skill with the science of bee behavior. The chapters, eight in all, start with an introduction, and then proceed to explain to the reader (perhaps a potential hobbyist) the tools, the approaches of stabling a beeline, estimating the distance to the tree, moving down the beeline, and finding the bee tree (perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the activity). The author concludes by a discussion of why not to do as ancestors may have done: taking down the bee tree for the honey, and likely condemning the bees of that hive to death. The suggests there are many other ways to save the bees and capture a live swarm.

Below I add several video links by the author, one set which is associated with this book, and another lecture likely based on these materials. If you listen to the video, you can certainly hear the author talk, and his enthusiasm, when reading the book! In fact, I first heard about the book when I happened upon one of his videos.

Finally, for me, the author brought forth the memories I had of hunting bees from some who was passing along a skill to me, so many years earlier. So folks, study the book and have fun in the field. But bring along a bee sting kit, especially if you are like me and allergic to their sting, which usually only happens if you get in their way.


To hear and see the author in video, see
Bee Hunting – a companion to the book
http://www.beehunting.com/ , which has several video about aspects of this activity.

A presentation at Cornell (about 50 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg3dS...

Finding Wild Bee Hives
http://www.cornell.edu/video/bee-lini...

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilden Bienenvölkern bis zu ihrem Stock zu folgen (z. B. Baumhöhlen), scheint unter modernen Lebensumständen eine ungewöhnliche Leidenschaft zu sein. Nicht aber für Thomas D. Seeley, der als Verhaltensforscher über das Nistverhalten schwärmender Bienen promoviert hat und maßgeblich von George H. Edgells The Bee Hunter (1949) angeregt wurde. Seeley profitiert bei seiner Tätigkeit von der beneidenswerten Ausstattung seiner Universität. Die Cornell University in Ithaca/New York verfügt über 1800 Hektar geschützten Wald, der allein zu Forschungszwecken dient und von weiteren geschützten oder brachliegenden Flächen umgeben ist. Wer keinen ganzen Wald zur Verfügung hat, könne auch in öffentlichen Parks einem Bienenschwarm folgen, so der amerikanische Forscher.

Seeleys Forschungsmethode folgt dem Honig-Sammelverhalten von Naturvölkern, indem er Bienenschwärme beim Heimflug beobachtet, einzelne Bienen mit einer Nahrungsquelle ködert und ihrer Flugroute bis zum Stock folgt. Als Forscher dokumentiert er genauestens jeden Schritt seiner Beobachtungen, ergänzt sein Buch mit Kartenskizzen, Bauplänen seiner Bienenbox und Fotos. Neben dem Wald als unersetzlichem Ökosystem geht es Seeley um das kollektive Verhalten von Bienenvölkern, ihre jeweilige Motivation, mehr Personal zum Nektartransport auszusenden oder sich auf die Arbeit im Stock zu konzentrieren. In einem langen Forscherleben hat Seeley sich in Ländern rund um den Erdball auf die Spur wilder Bienen gesetzt.

Seeleys Forschungseifer und der Stolz auf seine Erfahrungen in der Bienenjagd wirken absolut ansteckend. Mit seinem als Ratgeber gedachten Buch will der Autor einerseits Forschern ein Denkmal setzen, deren wissenschaftliche Arbeit ihn prägte, zugleich als Praktiker sein eigenes Erleben dokumentieren und sich damit von historischen Berichten über Bienenjagden abheben, die nur Gehörtes wiedergeben.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying to read more books about bees and beekeeping since we're planning to get bees next spring. This book covers an aspect of bees I wasn't familiar with before - hunting for wild bee colonies. The author is a scientist who has done multiple scientific studies about bees and their habitats, etc. In doing so he discovered bee hunting. While it seems very interesting - it also seems pretty time-consuming and complicated with lots of math and calculating to find where the wild bee hive is located. I think it could be interesting, but I don't really know who has time to spend DAYS out in the woods looking for wild bee hives! I'm very interested in bees, but I don't think this is something I'll personally try. I did like that at the very end he talks about how to set up a bait hive to capture swarms - that is something I could see myself trying out down the road.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeley makes hunting for bee trees sound tantalizing, a (much) more challenging form of geo-caching, where your tools are a few simple tools, your wits, and passion for the craft. And there’s no prize at the end, just the thrill of a successful find. The book is filled with interesting details about bees, useful to beekeepers and anyone fascinated by these impressive creatures.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an informative read. I’d highly suggest reading “Honey Bee Democrocy” first; It is not a requirement, however the information within “hunting wild honey bees” will be better received.

[I · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Very charming writing and I feel extremely inspired. Loved the concise and precise descriptions of tools needed, very excited to get started.

[Marija · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was my introduction to bee hunting in general and successful in the sense that I am not keen to give bee hunting a try on my own! I feel the simplistic and repetitive way the process is described is helpful when in the field as well; I imagine I will be referring to this book often because of that. As for how the reading experience was, it was fine. The book really focussed on repetition of details so it was not the most entertaining and it is helpful to read this with some bee knowledge already. That being said there were facts learnt that are valuable for both bee hunters and bee keepers that I could get excited over most. A great resource, yet unexciting book! Maybe once I become a bee hunter myself I’ll value the book more 🐝💞

[Suzanne]

The title of the book is misleading. It should be Following the wild honey bees as they are thousands of species of wild bees in North America and Apis mellifera is not one of them. Besides scientists, I don’t see why would anyone hunt wild honey bees.

[Chris Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book for an activity that doesn't occur often anymore. His youtube video explains and shows all the information in the book for free.

[Lewis Alderton · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this I really want to go out and hunt some bees.

A really well written book with tons of information and anecdotes. I really love hiw Tom backs up his findings with actual data.

[Abner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was more of a how to for hunting the nests of wild honeybees. I was looking for something else, I think.

[Grace Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed and fun book about how to start geocaching bees. I may try. I bought the book as my read was owned by the public library.

[Toni M]

interessant

[Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now to make a bee box

[Drystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reliable information from a documented source and just plain fun for a bee hunter…going to give it a try soon

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new hobby desire has been filed, well written and interesting

[Joan D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I doubt I will ever go out hunting for wild bee hives. Nevertheless, this was an interesting look at the process and history of the sport (I think of it that way). Seeley's book Honeybee Democracy is a better look at bees and the author's research over the years with bee swarms.

[Benji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming account of the art and sport of bee hunting. Ends on a positive note about untampered natural selection and the emergence of mite resistant wild bee colonies.

[Claudette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looks like a fun way to spend time in the woods.