Any of you bee keepers ever use a coursing box to catch wild bees, and follow them back to the tree? I had an uncle, who is long gone now, that would take a box and put flour inside it with mountain dew in a bottle cap sitting in the middle for bait, and lure them into it. He claimed the bees would get flour on their bodies as they crawled inside for the bait, and it would make them show up against the dark wood line as they flew back to the hive tree. That way he could see to follow them better. I know most folks just use a bait box to catch swarms these days, but I wondered if anyone still tried to use the old time methods.
I’m going to this fall to find new colonies, I do know what your referring too though some old folks talked about it but never seen none in action I know the process.
Colt
1 Like
I’m not a bee keeper, but I think if a guy was going to try and find wild bees in the fall, I think when the golden rods bloom heavy, they might work them pretty hard, and it would be a good way to find some quickly.
Yes that’s what I was thinking
I don’t like getting stung but I’d like to be in on cutting a bee tree someday. I used to hear old guys talk about finding and cutting one. I know nothing about bees. I had a bee tree on my place for years. They were mean little black looking ones. If you got near the tree they’d sting you.
Them little black bastards are mean.
Colt
I first heard of the flour on a bee to find the hive back when I was a kid but don’t know of anyone that does it now. Bee keeping has always interested me.
I heard of flour on the bee too. I didn’t mention it because I wasn’t sure I’d heard it right.