Preface ix 1. Introduction 1 2. The Bee Box and Other Tools 30 3. Bee-Hunting Season 44 4. Establishing a Beeline 57 5. Timing Bees to Estimate Distance to Home 79 6. Making Moves Down the Beeline 99 7. Finding the Bee Tree 118 8. On Not "Taking Up" the Bee Tree 138 Notes 151 References 157 Illustration Credits 161 Index 163
Thomas D. Seeley is the Horace White Professor in Biology at Cornell University. He is the author of Honeybee Democracy and Honeybee Ecology (both Princeton) and The Wisdom of the Hive. He lives in Ithaca, New York.
Honorable Mention for the 2017 PROSE Award in Popular Science and Popular Mathematics, Association of American Publishers "Seeley's passion for the social insects blazes as he quotes historical accounts by Henry David Thoreau and describes the intricacies of the chase, from baiting with anise-scented sugar syrup to patiently amassing location data"--Barb Kiser, Nature "Seeley has been studying honeybees in the wild for decades and in the course of his research has made something of an art of finding--and leaving undisturbed--feral colonies. That he's had a grand time doing so is abundantly clear in this slim volume... [Seeley] shares his research accessibly and generously along with his enthusiasm."--Kirkus "This charming story will pull you into the action and make you feel like an intrepid bee hunter without ever leaving your living room chair."--HoneyBeeSuite "Following the Wild Bees introduced me to a new activity. If you've ever wondered how beekeepers find new wild hives, this book explains it all. This is a must-have book for all beekeepers and bee lovers."--Scott Shalaway, Youngstown (OH) Vindicator "In addition to serving as a primer on the behavior and biology of honeybees, Following the Wild Bees just might give readers an intellectually (and physically) stimulating new outdoor activity."--The Scientist "Anyone deeply interested in natural history will ignore this mad little volume at their peril."--Simon Ings, New Scientist "This game has been on my 'to-do' list since reading Donovan's book on the subject a decade or so ago. Tom has now given me the interest and enthusiasm to get out and do it!"--Chris Slade's Bee Blog "A delightful new book, Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting ... is, as the subtitle suggests, a personal guide to finding wild hives (as opposed to the industry of keeping colonies of bees in hives). With enriching nods to such Harvardian predecessors as Henry David Thoreau and George Harold Edgell (The Bee Hunter, 1949), Seeley's book is richly informed by both research and the author's sheer love for 'the most intelligent insect in the world.'"--Harvard Magazine "Filled with fascinating information on bee colonies and the history of honey hunts."--Matt Miller, Cool Green Science blog "I can commend this book to you. It is easy and interesting to read and is an excellent addition to anyone's bee library."--Adrian Waring, Bee Craft "I must recommend this book to you, if you like reading about bees at all. It is a handbook of bee hunting, of course, but it is far more than that. It is both entertaining and instructive, and it carries a great depth of knowledge very gracefully, making it easy for the reader to understand and remember some very new research findings. If you have been fortunate enough to hear Professor Seeley at Gormanston, you will find this book a delightful reminder of his clear style and friendly approach."--Au Beachaire "[A] fascinating read... Following the Wild Bees not only reveals [Seeley's] passion for this unusual pastime and urges readers to discover the thrill of the chase, but provides an extremely detailed guide to becoming an expert bee hunter."--Country Smallholding "Highly engaging... I look forward to searching for wild bee nests with new knowledge and renewed enthusiasm. I hope you, too, will accept Tom Seeley's challenge: to take up the interesting and environmentally friendly sport of wild bee hunting."--Gard W. Otis, American Entomologist "Bee hunting--the locating and observing of a wild bee hive--is the next eco-hobby and noted biologist Thomas D. Seeley is the perfect guide in Following the Wild Bees."--American Gardener "This nice book presents readers with interesting insights and memories of Seeley's life as a honeybee hunter. He provides readers with a plethora of information: instructions for bee box building, how to use the boxes, and materials needed to build other necessary utensils. The book has numerous beautiful photographs of equipment, behavior, and other related issues. This is a refreshing book with a message on conservation; it is absolutely appropriate for current times, when many worry about honeybees and their existence."--Choice "Many books on honeybees are available, be they for scientists, beekeepers, or interested naturalists. The present book, however, Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting, is outstanding... While some might be inspired to embark on a veritable discovery trip through nature, I assume that most readers will be content with learning the world's wonders without feeling the urge to actually go on a hunt themselves. For the former group, this easy-to-read book will be a helpful resource for new bee hunters. For the latter, this enjoyable read will be a welcome starting point to discovering the fascinating biology of bees, humanity's best friend among the insects."--Uli Ernst, BioScience "[Seeley] covers all of the various topics needed to be a bee hunter and his book is a must-read to even begin to wrap your head around this fascinating art... I highly recommend Seeley's Following the Wild Bees, especially in our current global concern with bee decline and colony loss."--Howard O. Clark, Jr., Sonoran Herpetologist
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