Bee Lining (Hunting Bees)
Bee lining is one of those old-fashioned traditional skills that has been used by beekeepers for generations. You may also hear it referred to as: bee tracking or bee hunting. Long before modern beekeeping and the easy availability of bees to purchase, people followed foraging bees to their home nest. Today, bee lining is still an intriguing way to find wild colonies. But, be prepared for a bit of a hike as you never know where this journey will take you.
As any beekeeper, I enjoy catching bee swarms that come across my property. But, in bee lining – we take the hunt to the woods instead of waiting for bees to come to us. Be prepared for some hard work and you will need patience.
What is Bee Lining?
Bee lining – sometimes called bee coursing- is the practice of tracking a worker bees back to her home colony. It sounds simple. Watch where the bee flies and follow her line of direction until you find the hive.
For centuries beekeepers used the skill to find wild colonies that could be harvested and taken back to their apiary. It is an interesting way to observe honey bee behavior and a true piece of beekeeping history.
Why (or Why Not) Bee Line Today
The reasons to give bee lining a try are easy to understand. It is a hands-on learning experience and gives you an excuse to get outdoors.
Some beekeepers are interested in the genetics of feral or “survivor stock”. Wild colonies that can survive for years without help may be a good addition to your bee yard.
On the other hand, any time you bring new colonies into the apiary – there is a risk of bringing parasites and disease home with you too.
When & Where to Look for Foragers
A good time to begin looking for honey bee foragers is on warm sunny days. Seasons where there is not an over-abundance of nectar may be best. The bees have fewer nectar sources to visit.
Favorite water sources bees use are another good spot to check. The key is simply finding bees that are focused on a task. You might even set out a plate of sugar water to lure them in.
Equipment & Materials Needed
Luckily, you don’t need a lot of equipment to get started. Most people will construct a bee-lining box or container to hold a few foragers.
This could be any simple container – even a round oatmeal box with some tiny breathing holes for ventilation. You need to be able to container 5-8 bees and be able to release them one at a time.
A small compass and notebook to record direction of flight is handy.
Step by Step Lining Process
Put on your hiking boots and some long pants (if you live in a region with snakes!). Bee lining requires that you get out in the wild in a search for that elusive wild hive. There are several steps involved:
- identifying foragers
- capturing bees
- release and follow
- stopping to verify direction
- repeat
- locating the hive
Finding Foragers
If you are searching at a natural food or water source- find somewhere bees are busy working. Where would you look? Look for flowers that bees love on warm sunny afternoons – listen for a buzz.
Make sure you understand the differences between bees and wasps. You do not want to follow a yellow jacket wasp home.
If you are having trouble finding foragers, set up a feeding station. A simple plate with a few rocks or something like this decorative bee watering station would work – just use sugar water.
Catch and Mark
The first step for many hunters is to gently capture a worker bee (with a small net or box) and offer her a little sugar water. Ideally, her tummy will fill up and she will be ready to fly home.
Great care is taken to avoid harming the worker honey bee. We want her to be in good shape.
Some beekeepers mark the forager – similar to how the queen bee is marked. This is done to help the bee hunter easily track the same bee when it returns. This is optional of course.
Release and Follow
One at a time, the captured bees are released. She will most likely fly straight back towards her hive. If she continues to forage, be patient and follow her until she starts home.
This is the most challenging part of the bee lining process. Beginning in the direction in which the bee flies, try to keep track of her flight path.
This can be difficult, as bees can fly quickly and directly. While we humans have to climb over logs and wade through brush.
Stopping at Intervals
Most likely, you will not find the hive on your first journey and the bee will race off and leave you squinting at the sky. That’s okay. Be patient – wait for a bit to see if she comes back by.
At intervals, release the next bee and continue the process. Hopefully, all the bees you captured are from the same hive – but there are no guarantees.
Repeating the Process
This process may need to be repeated for days before you actually find the hive. Mark the last sighting and then release bees from that location next time. Each time the bee should have a shorter flight path as it gets closer to the hive.
Locating the Hive
Eventually, after following the bee through multiple cycles, the bee liner should be able to pinpoint the general area of the colony.
Now, the job is to find the bee tree or other structure where the hive is located. Look for bee traffic and listen for bee sounds.
What to do When You Find the Wild Hive
You have found the wild bee hive – now what? It is not always possible or advisable to harvest a colony from a bee tree. It is a complex and delicate process. A bit dangerous as well.
In times past, the goal was to collect honey and beeswax from wild bee colonies – little care was given to survival of the bees.
Today, just as beekeepers moved from keeping honey bees in bee skeps to modern hives, we do look for more ethical ways to respect the bees and natural environment.
Swarm Collection
If a decision is made to not remove the colony, the beekeeper may set up swarm traps and hope to catch a nice swarm from the wild colony.
By prioritizing ethical practices and conservation, bee liners can continue to enjoy the tradition of bee lining while supporting the health and well-being of wild bee populations.
FAQs
Honey bees typically forage within 1–2 miles of their hive, but they can fly farther if resources are scarce. As you move along your bee line, you should watch for bee flight because you may see other workers coming and going too. When the bee traffic picks up, that’s your sign you’re on the right track.
Yes, it absolutely can — and it happens more often than beginners expect. Managed hives can be just as attractive to your baited bees as wild colonies. If you end up walking toward a home or apiary, you may need to check local beekeeper listings or ask neighbors before assuming you’ve found a feral colony. It’s part of the detective work!
When done responsibly, bee lining can be ethical and sustainable. Practitioners should prioritize the well-being of the bees and their habitats, harvesting only when necessary and leaving enough resources for the colony to thrive. Sustainable practices include rehoming swarms and minimizing disturbance to wild bee populations.
Finally
Bee lining can be a rewarding and fascinating experience. But, it requires attentiveness and a watchful eye – along with a great deal of patience. It is not the easiest way to acquire bees for your hives. However, it can be a fun activity that takes you farther into an understanding of the complex world of bees.
When I was in the Boy Scouts we tried BEE LINING every summer. No one ever found the colony!
But Dr Seeley has great vids on Youtube on how to line bees.
As to “Wild” colonies for new Genetics–been trying to catch “Wild” bees on a private area of 3700 acres for a few years now but getting tired of bears destroying 14 or more swarm traps each year. Now going to just put splits there and expect new queen to mate with “wild” drones.
Caught 20+ swarms last year and BIG difference in bees that I catch. The ones I call”illegal immigrants” are flying dark to dark and even fly in the rain. The colonies I call “Republican Bees” don’t bother going out unto after 10 am and quit before sundown.
I have personally not been successful in tracking down a wild hive with bee lining. I have however, found wild hives before. In my area, many of the old timers had buckfast genetics and the resulting after swarms were quite testy.
Bee lining , Bee tracking , Been doing it passed 5 years . In that time I have found at least 9 Bee trees . I enjoy doing n I learn alot more about bees .From the trees hives I have found I got 11 swarms . From one tree that fell I removed the Bees n 30 lbs of honey
That’s amazing George!