162 Hunting Bee Trees. 



Sometimes bees from trees in the forest are transferred to 

 hives and the apiary. 



itUNTING BEE TREES. 



Except for recreation, this is seldom profitable. It is slow 

 and uncertain work. The tree when found is not our own, 

 and though the owner may consent to our cutting it, he may 

 dislike to do so. The bees, when found, are difficult to get 

 alive ; it is even more difficult to get the honey in good con- 

 dition, and when secured, the honey and bees are often almost 

 worthless. 



The principle upon which bees are " lined " is this : that after 

 filling with honey, a bee always takes a direct course — "a bee 

 line" — to its hive. To hunt the bee-trees we need a bottle of 

 sweetened water, a little honey-comb, unless the bees are 

 gathering freely from forest fiowers, and a small bottomless box 

 with a sliding glass cover, and a small shelf attached to the 

 middle of one side on the inside of the box. A shallow tray 

 or piece of honey-comb is to be fastened to this shelf. If the 

 bees are not found on flowers, we can attract them by burning 

 a piece of honey-comb.' If on a flower, set the box over them 

 after turning a little of the sweetened water in the comb or 

 tray on the shelf. It is easy to get them to sipping this sweet. 

 Then slide the glass, and when they fly, watch closely and see 

 the direction they take. By following this line, we come to 

 the bee tree, or more likely to some neighbor's apiary. By 

 getting two lines, if the bees are from the same tree, where 

 the lines meet, there the tree will be. We should be careful 

 not to be led to apiaries, and should look very closely when 

 the bees fly, to be sure of the line. Experience makes a person 

 quite skillful. When a tree is found, we must use all possible 

 ingenuity to get the combs whole if we wish to transfer the 

 bees. 



