Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting Hardcover – May 3, 2016

I already had George H Edgell's book, "The Bee Hunter" and had read it several times. Both books cover the art of Bee Hunting. The same equipment and strategies are described in each book. Tom Seeley offers a slightly simpler and easier to make Bee Box and has a few improvements in the supporting equipment. Seeley's book is thicker because it not only presents the HOW, but also explains the WHY behind the craft. The WHY is fascinating. There are plenty of pictures in Seeley's book so you get an idea of what you are looking for.The major difference between the two books is what you do after you locate the bees. Edgell briefly explains what equipment you will need to "take" the bees. Seeley claims that the thrill of the hunt and spending time in nature is adequate compensation. If you are simply trying to locate bee colonies, either book will be adequate, but if you are interested in the science as well, Seeley's book will not disappoint.

I want to learn this "almost" lost art. But, I'm old, and I"m not sure I have the time left. There is a whole lot of observing, which requires one to sit and wait and watch and, maybe, move forward 20 feet. But, you just might see the bee tree you are searching for when you get around that tree just ahead... maybe. This is hard work, but one gets the feeling it can be very rewarding work.

Great book. Easy to read. Would like to have seen more info on creating a bee box. Definitely going to be beelining. There's a Youtube video by Megan Denver with Dr. Seeley, describing the process.

Dr Seeley is one of if not the most knowledgeable beekeepers out there. Not only does he have the knowledge, but also he has a great writing skill that makes the information easy to absorb.

If you want to hunt wild honey bees or just learn about it, this is the book to get. The book is not only an enjoyable, definitive guide to to bee hunting, but also describes some of bees amazing behaviors.Jack

Wonderful book, if you like the outdoors or beekeeping or history of the Arnot Forest you’ll love this book

Dr Seeley is a great scientist and I really like his lectures, his other books. This help and expanded my beelining knowledge a bit. myelf I use large bait stations and hunt for beehives here int he Arizona Mountains.

Eloquent and witty book by a top-notch scientist! I was immediately inspired to follow wild bees myself. Tom Seeley is the rare scientist who can communicate complex ideas with nuance and clarity. If you are interested in honeybees, you must read this book (and his previous book, Honeybee Democracy, as well).

Prof Healey’s unvarnished love of bees here is palpable. They are far more than items to be studied scientifically. His enthusiasm in using the old ways to find bee colonies is infectious and you just want to get going yourself. In amongst the practicalities is a lot of weighty scientific data which might be off putting to a casual reader, however you can gloss over all the graphs and still have an enjoyable read. Once you’ve read and digested it, you might be moved to go and have a closer look at the science. It’s really interesting but then I am a biochemist and all that nerdy stuff is right up my boulevard!!

A nicely produced little book but the content does not really deserve more than chapter status. In fact, the same ground has been covered, as a chapter this time, in his larger volume Honeybee Democracy. In which this supposedly harmless activity of feral colony hunting is presented instead as a somewhat murderous search which ends with the bees being killed with cyanide gas (!), their tree felled, and their nest cavity volume measured - the driver for the whole activity. This undisguised overtly destructive activity does not sit comfortably with a supposedly benign fun hunt for bee colonies as presented in this second, smaller volume. At the very least, this reflects a somewhat chaotic, contradictory relationship with the honeybee, which would best be left hidden within the pages of hard research.

Another fascinating book by Professor Seeley covering more on the nature and behaviour of wild bees. Here he encourages us to slow down and patiently engage with nature to find bees living in hollow trees. He shares the skills needed to participate in the unique outdoor sport of beelining. and how to hunt for elusive bee nests. The best bit is that the hunt need not end in the destruction of the habitat but that the wild bees can be used as a sustainable resource of honeybees.

Excellent read on an activity, now seldom practiced in the western world. And even if you have no intension of tracking wild bees or swarms wild or not, it's a book which should be read by beekeepers and this interested in the honeybee.

Excellent