# How to locate and pinpoint wild bee hives?



## francismilker

I've always been told that if one is patient and has time on their hands to spend watching wild bees that you can eventually follow them back to their hive. Is this true? I know bees can range miles on their daily trec to gather pollen. How do you go about locating wild hives? 

My mother lives in a small community of about 350 people. She has an abundance of clover growing in her yard and always has something blooming in flower beds and her vegetable garden. On more than one occasion I've noticed bees working the blooms and wonder where they're coming from. I'm pretty sure my hives are the closest domesticated hives and they're over 3 miles away. Could they be mine? 

If not, how do I find the location of the wild hives?


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## tom j

google bee lining 
and look at this site 
SaveTheHives - Feral Bee Project - Beelining


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## tinknal

An old timer told me about bee lining. He would use one of the large match boxes that kitchen matches come in. He would partially open it and put a few drops of something sweet in it. He would set it out where bees were active. When four or five bees were in the box he would close it. Standing in that very spot he would release one bee. It would circle and make a "bee line" for the hive. You need to carefully watch the direction the bee goes. Pick a landmark in the direction the bee goes. This is very important. If you veer off course before you release the next bee it will fly past the hive. At intervals along the way release another bee. If you stay on course, and the bees are all from the same hive, they will lead you right to the hive. 

If you pass the hive and release a bee it will fly on in the same direction into eternity.


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## francismilker

I googled beelining and watched several youtube vids. This looks like an art in itself. I'm going to make a valiant effort to find some wild hives come spring. (Unless there's a better time to do it in the year.) 

I'm just amazed by bees. This past year has been a constant learning process for me and I know it's going to be several more decades before I actually convert from bee owner to beekeeper. I want to have several hives but don't want to get more than I can properly take care of. Seems that 2 or 3 well kept hives might be a better operation that a dozen hives that are left to survive on their own. 

In reality, I'd like to get to the point where folks call me and say, "I've got a swarm in my carport. Can you come get it?". Once I get to that point I want to do more than capture the hive. I want to hive it and help it thrive. I've got what my mentor calls, "a great location for bees with good honey flow." so I want to do right be it. As well, there's a new pipeline coming through my place and I don't think it will be too hard for me to arrange having the newly cleared right-of-way seeded with clover. After that, I'll have a 3/4 mile strip of cleared ground that is 100' wide and I can use it as my apiary. It will have access to plenty of water as well as being secluded enough that the bees shouldn't have to contend with civilzation much because of it's remote location. I will have easy access to it as it sits right behind the house. 

Keep the beelining suggestions coming. I want to be ready when next spring comes. I've got some plans for building supers and hives and am eager to spend some time this winter in the shop building plenty of nucs, hives, and supers, as well as a few swarm traps. (want to experiment with swarm trapping.)


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## southerngurl

I can't seem to do this because it's so wooded you can't see the bees very well.


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