New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-26
HOW BEE-HUNTERS WORK.
THEIR SKILL, CRAFT AND IAlIE.S'r>

From The Hartford Times.
About this time of the year comes the Proles-
sional bce-hunter'S opportunity. sometimes the
most favorable period for hunting bees comes a
little earlier later. 1t is at the time When pee
forage has become scarce and wheh perhaps
the flowers that lngcr after summer IS pass ana
the belated blossoms OF the uncut nuch"n.'.
have been touched by early frost Inc WINTER
stores of honey are mainly accumulated Inc
sweetest flowers have yielded up their Iargtss
and perished The honey harvest IS over, ana
| nothing remains but geanings. Yet the tnrI'!
bee intent upon working While the day lasts
roams the fading fields in search of nectar wher-
ever it may still be found. AT this Tune bees
may be attracted by bai;s that would scafceiy
be noticed while flowers were plenty
For many years the writer knew an od pee
hunter who only last year, at the age OF ninety ,
three abandoned the quest Of bees ana Followed
up the line that led him across the silent river
| He was a quiet. unobtrusive, amiable man a
So holar not If books, but Of nature, and he re.
| membcred what he learned. HIS methodS OF
hunting bees are almost identical with those de.
scribcd by Root in his ~ b c Of Bee Culture
and by other specialists in agriculture.
| The equipment Of the bee hunter is the acme
of simplicity. For operations early in the sea
son before the flowers are all gone, a glass
tumber and piece OF honeycomb constitute
an outfit In the carly part OF the day WINE
| the bees are at work upon the flowers, the
| hunter catches bee by placing the lumber
| over IT, He sets the glass over the piece OF
| honcycOmb and waits until the bee loads ltseif
| with honey from it When he raises the glass
| and liberates the bee, the hunter needs a quick
! keen eye and alertness Of perception that not
every one can boast Of With its precious load
| Of honey easily obtained tn" bee i eager
To return to its home the instant II IS frec from
| restraint. 1t rises and makes Il NUMBER 81
! circles over the bit Of honeycomb as If to mark
| the spot Each time round the circle becomes
larger until the bee darts away in certain
direction straight as an arrow, and with almost
an arrows sWiftnc -. \ novice would be az
loss To say which way the bee had gone. But
the practised bee hunter has marked its course.
and knows that il is "A bee lin" that VIII take
the little honey -gather"r straight mono. II ne
is sure Of the exact course he follows II by keep
ing i'm range Of trees or other objects. If not
quite sure ne waits for the bee to com" back
for more honey. This it will surely do the time
depending on the distance to -" traE"rs"d ana
some hing also upon the weight 81 IN" buid"N
IL C1uN,.vod If the bee returns soon, the hunter
knows that it's home is near by. If gone long
time. he can only wait. and this he VIII do. for
IN" thought Of "A bec-hunt"r becoming inpa-
tient is not 10 be entertained. The bee viii come
back and others with it,
Most hunters use a bcc-hunting box about
four or five inches square and without a bot
tom The top il closed with a sliding glass.
Just below thu glass * little tray. 10 contain
the bait This consists Of honey. often diluted
| ono half with water, that the bees may not
overload thefns. Ives. The bar is carried in
bottle and poured into the feeder as occasion
requires
\ number Of bees are sometimes caught in the
box ana the honey it holds will quickly absorb
their Who'll" attention. Will" they are busy in
collecting their loads. the hunter places the box
space in IN" field The glass slide is drawn out
and the be, that gets loaded first em"rges. cir
c!cs around and speeds away. II IN" hunter
fails in making sur" line the frs time. be has
more chances Wien he has made a line. he
moves along its course as far as he can con
nicntlv and reopcns his box. The first hber-
atcd bees have carried tn" great news. and
others are coming back with them to secure "A
share Of the plund,r. Tn" further tn" hunter
proceeds along the line. the easier his task be
comes When the be-" leaves the box, which is
placed upon some elevated point. tn" hunter
sioops low So as To hay" the sky as a back
ground and Is thus the better able To discern
and follow the insect in its Hight.
when the hunter thinks he Is near the desired
spot n moves off To one sid" and starts cross
line The home Of the bees Will be found where
the lines meet.
The bee hunter Is searching for Wild bees
honey. but the bees he catches and releases may
be pure Italians. or hyhrIds The bees in the
woods are often those that have escaped from
some hive in the neighbOrhOOd during SWarming
time. The hunter frequently follows line for
hours perhaps days. only to lind il leading into
somebody's apiary Of domcsticatod bees