Collecting Wild Honey

[mitunnelrat]

I'm curious how people would go about doing this if they run across a hive in the woods?

My favorite episode of Duck Dynasty is on right now, and while its been funny to watch I am NOT going to plug a shop vac into a generator and use it for bee containment!

So, what say you?

[izzyscout21]

Um............I gotta stay away from this one.

I dont want to give LadyHK a reason to hit me with Epi.

[bacpacker]

I saw that last night, damn that was funny. I think Phil got it right though. Smoke works wonders to settle down angry bees. I've never had and wild honey, makes me wonder about the difference.

BTW that is probably my favorite show on right now. I don't watch a shit load of TV, but that is about the funniest show I've seen since the early Tool Time episodes.

[ladyhk13]

Bees....should this thread be under the "animals" topic since it would overlap with bee keeping? Unless it's going to spin off into the program ya'll are talking about. Just asking.

[mitunnelrat]

Nah, this one isn't so much about bee keeping as it is foraging in the wild. I'm kinda curious what (if any) field expedient techniques methods could be used to safely collect it while on the move.

[izzyscout21]

I'm kinda curious what (if any) field expedient techniques methods could be used to safely collect it while on the move.

grab it and run like hell?

[mitunnelrat]

Only if there's more than one epi pen on hand, even for someone like me who isn't allergic!

Seriously though, I'm wondering if you'd just have to build a fire near/ under it to pacify them or what? I think I heard they react differently to different types of smoke as well... Its about the only thing making sense to me right now though.

[bacpacker]

Has anyone ever ran across a wild hive before. I for onr have never saw one.

[ladyhk13]

Me either. They are usually found unwanted at someone's home (and a guy is called in to relocate the hive) or in hives being raised.

[mitunnelrat]

You know, that's a good question.

[ak474u]

My brother and I found one once, it was probably 1' wide and 3' long, we didn't hang around very long because the killer bees were here back then, I don't know what happened with that whole thing, but we didn't wanna mess with that. I've been in the woods a lot over my life, and it's the only one I've seen.

[bacpacker]

I have saw swarms of bees that had left an exisiting hive. My uncle used to keep several hives at the house when I was growing up and after he came up once to capture the swarm one time. I ask him why they did that. he said there was a 2nd queen and she along with a portion of the hive were forced out by the other queen.

They had attached to a small maple tree we had in the yard and by the time they were all on it, the tree was bent over. He brought up a empty hive and after smoking them some he just cut off the limb and dumped them in the hive and closed it up.

He always used a "smoker" and basically used old rags smoldering to create the smoke. I really have no clue as to whether different types of smoke from various products would have different effects. In a survival situation I would think the best way would be to get a decent fire going underneath or upwind from the hive and then throw the green leaves/wood on the fire and build up as much smoke as you can get. Then have at it. But be sure you have something to put it in when you take it down. Maybe double layers of a heavy garbage bag or something similar.

[piranha2]

grab it and run like hell?

I would leave out the 'grab it' part.

[Sniper-T]

wild hives aren't that uncommon around here, but they usually aren't as nice and contained as a kept hive would be.

ie a hollowed out tree stump, the inside of a hub of a parked vehicle, under the hood of the same. The odd time I have seen what looks like a giant hornets nest on acid. same kinda set up, but more of a shapeless blob than a nice hive. And when I do see them, I walk away quietly in the other direction. (I too am allergic)

I had a friend who used to tell of his dad collecting them though, although I never did hear it first hand, nor saw it happen. Seems if he found one, he would mark the position, and then return after dark. then using a putty knife and a large HD garbage bag, he would scrape it off and into the bag, or as much as he could. Apparently they are pretty lethargic at night, but once you do get them riled, they're none too happy. So, when he had a good chunk of the hive in the bag, he would high tail it back to his truck. Once there, he'd uncerimoniously toss the bag into the box, and drive home. with the bag flapping open in the wind, by the time he got home, most or all the bees were gone and scattered down the highway.

apparently he kept bees as well, but liked the flavours of wild honey as well, or he blended them together. When I asked if he ever got stung... buddy said "dozens and dozens of times a day".

So if you have the gear, or don't mind some stings, or both. go for it! the old smash and grab!

[ladyhk13]

Well if he kept bees I cannot see him throwing a bag of them in the back of his truck and just letting them scatter all over the place, most bee keepers I have met have respect for the bee and the hive and wouldn't treat them like that. This would be true especially if he liked wild honey - why would he just throw it like garbage? Sorry, guy sounds like a turd.

[Sniper-T]

no offence taken Lady, as I said, I never met the guy, and if you notice the reference to the friend... it was past tense. He was a bit of a turd too. :)