The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-17
HUNTING THE WILD bee.
Keen Eyesight Is Needed and the
Hunter Must he Lazy.

Hunter Must he Lazy.
From the New York Advertiser
1t takes a lazy man to be a good bee
hunter. He has to have a keen sight and
a practical knowledge of woodcraft. At
least such is the statement Of an old and
experienced bee hunter. who has made 1t
a practice for years to spend several
weeks In the fan in the woods OF Northern
Wisconsin hunting the home OF the wild
bee. This section OF the country. owing
to the rich growth OF wild flowers. the
quantity OF Eastwood timber and the sur
rounding forests. is the natural home OF
the wild bee. In the hunt for them there
Is nothing exciting. but the expert hunter
is generally rewarded with rich stores of
delicious honey for his trouble.
The usual mode of hunting Is very sim
pie, only requiring small box the size of
an ordinary cigar box. arranged with "a
glass cover. In this the hunter puts piece
of honey When bee is found gathering
honey. from a flower the hunter eau
tiously makes the bee a captive. Then he
places the box on top Of a stake, made
for the purpose, and patiently awaits the
pleasure OF the bee. who Immediately sets
to work filling himself. As soon as he Is
quietly settled the lid is opened. When
the bee gives the least sign of moving, the
hunter must be all attention. A buzzing
OF the wings Is the first signal given. When
the bee takes his leave .he rises fifteen or
twenty feet above the box, makes from
| two to four small circles, and then strikes
n direct line for his home.
IL is at this point that the hunter shows
| his dexterity, for with his eye he must
follow the bee until It Is lost to sight.
Should he miss the direction the first
time, he simply waits and is rewarded
by seeing the same bee again In the box,
oftentimes accompanied by a companion.
This time he gets the line and marks the
direction to some point ahead When he
reaches the place he again sets his box.
The bee, on returning, always travels
the same route. and at once scents the
honey In passing over H. He may be ac-
companied this time by a number Of
workers. The first one to fiji Is allowed to
go unmolested. the hunter noting the
direction The rest are reid captives
Until he has Travelled on the line the dis
lance his eye has measured. when he
again opens the box and allows another
to escape. AS bees In their search for the
best honey-making fields often travel for
miles, the hunter may have to repeat this
operation many times. but he invariably
arrives at the tree when once he has es-
tablished the course.
j. G. Davis, a pioneer In these parts, and
who devotes several weeks each fall to
hunting bee trees, claims this is the only
successful way to find them, and has by
this method located as many as fifteen
and twenty in a single fall. large hol-
low pine seems to be the choice Of the
bee when selecting a home. The larger
the tree the stronger the colony and
he tor
honey, which oftentimes yields from forty
to 1870 pounds.
Mr.. Davis believes the wild bee increas-
ing instead OF decreasing in numbers in
the woods of Northern Wisconsin. He
says, owing to the fact that the trees they
inhabit are large and commodious, the
colonies are larger, and without the hand
Of man to rob them OF their store during
the honey -making season. they are better
prepared TO Withstand the cold OF winter
Their numbers are also added 20 by the
many swarms escaping from the tame bee
keeper, which are increased as the country
grows older The forest fires Of last fall
and the dense smoke that prevailed for
weeks was possibly the means OF killing
many swarms, but they are here yet in
great numbers. The bee has but few natu-
raj enemies. The moth. which is the great
est destroyer of the tame bee, for some
cause. seldom molests the wild bee.
1t is no fault of bruin. though. that every
bee tree is not raided. He is ravenously
fond Of honey, and trees have been found
which plainly showed the marks of his
claws and teeth In his endeavors TO gain
an entrance to the choice morsel within
When bee hunter finds tree he marks It
with his name and date of finding. He
may not visit It again for weeks. or until
he is ready to remove the honey, which
is done by first killing the bees by sui
-
the tree down, in which great care must
be exercised. so as not to break the honey
combs.