>George,
>
>  I'd be interested in some of the basics if you would like to share it
>here!
>
>Gerry Visel
>
>On Mon, 23 Dec 1996 22:15:16 +0500 George_Willy
><[log in to unmask]> writes:
>>...I can explain the principals of beelinin to you taught to me be a
>>wonderfull older gentleman in this neck
>>of the woods. He was able to find I think 4 maybe 5 wild swarms this
>>fall.
>>good luck. George
>>
Gerry:
        The art of beelinin, or correctly spelled beelining, is a method of
obtaining honey for the homestead for winter use, that is being lost in
todays society. I have been fortunate to befriend a elderly gentleman that
uses the woods as we and our children use television. We, my friend George
Lund and Ferdinand Belville and I have wandered through the woods of
Vermont in search of wild bees and have found many. In recient years
however we find fewer due to mite infestation. My interest in this lost art
is two fold. I am interested in the practice and am also interested in
finding hygenic strains that may have survived the harsh winters and the
mites.
        Here is how it works;
        You need to make a bee box with a seperate lid. The box itself is
rectangular in shape and made of 1/2" pine. Interior dimensions are 3 1/4"
wide and 7"in length and 2 3/4 " in debth. This box is now a 5 sided box
with an open top.  Now we have to take this space and divide it into 3
compartments.  5" from one end take another piece of 1/2" X 3 1/4 X 2 3/4
and slide it in. Just slide this in temporarily.  Now you look at a box 5
sided, open on the top with a compartment of 5"x 3 1/4 X 2 3/4" on the left
and a 1 5/8 x3 1/4 X 2 3/4" on the right. The smaller compartment will be
covered by plexiglass set into dados 1/4" down from the top of the box. The
dado can be done with a saw blade on a table saw. Before you glue and tack
this together drill a small hole through the partition between the
compartments 1/2" down from the top and 1" over from the right side. The
hole should should be just large enough for a single bee to walk through
comfortably. Now glue this partition in place and tack with a a couple of
1" finish nails through the sides. Looking at the box now you have a box
divided into two compartments one larger on the left and a smaller one on
the right covered with plexiglass. The partition seperating the two has a
small hole in it to let a single bee pass through it. Now you need to make
the third compartment and this is done on the larger of the two
compartments by making small runners along both sides of the box with 1/8"
x 1/2" x 5" strips glued so that the top of the runners are 1 1/4" off of
the bottom of the box.  Find a piece of plastic or plexiglass to slide over
these runners and out through the end of the box. You will need to run the
whole box through the table saw so that the saw cut comes exactly above the
runners for the plastic to run through. So now you have a box with what
looks like 2 compartments but the one on the left has a false bottom which
can be opened by sliding the plastic bottom out through the end. Now you
need to make the top which is a little larger than the box itself in width
by about 1/2" and about 5" longer and made out of 1/2" pine. The extra 5"
is a hand grip and has a fingernail moon cut out of both sides of just the
5 " portion.  So now you have a box with three compartments and a cover
with a handle that covers the entire box.  Now you need to put a window in
the cover. That window needs to be set into the wooden cover so that the
plexiglass is flush with the top of the cover.  The window should be 3"x3"
square and so as to pas light through to th box down below. You will havt
to chissel out a small ledge for the glass to it on. Glue it in with
silicone.  Now you need a piece of fabric to staple to the cover on the
handle end of the cover to block out the light when necessary. Just one
more thing to do chissel a little hole in the side of the box so that you
can slide a flat piece of wood to cover the hole in the partition between
the two main compartments. Fasten a staple to recieve the end ofthis piece
of wood and to hold it in place but loose enough so you can pull the piece
back and let the bees through the hole. Paint the box white outside only.
        In the fall amongst aster and goldenrod bees are working for
whatever they can get. Hold the box in your left hand and the cover in your
right (reverse if left handed) and walk slowly to find the workers. Morning
just after dew is off the blossom and the sun is out is the best time. With
a bee on the blossom slowly bring the box around the backside of the flower
always leaving the sun unobstructed. Quickly close the cover over the top
of the box and if you are lucky you now have the blossom and the bee in the
large compartment of the box but you are still attached to the stem of the
flower. Slowly pull the box off of the stem holding the cover tightly over
the box. Pull the fabric off of the window and allow the sun to shine into
the cover window. If you haven't killed the bee in your attempt she will
come right to the window and walk all over it trying to get airborn. Now,
if successfull, cover the window up with the fabric and sloide the cover
back enough to let sun into the window of the small compartment. Pull the
little stick out that it covering the hole in the partition and let as much
sun beam through as possible. The bee will see the light through the small
hole and enter the small compartment. Now put the stick back over the hole.
Bee #1 Repeat this procedure for up to 6 bees. Now go back to your truck or
car and open the lower part of the larger compartment. In this section you
have placed a nice piece of comb with sugar syrup filling the cells.
Do not use honey.  Flavor the comb with less than 1/2 a drop of anise oil.
Open the window on the cover and be sure the smaller compartment is now in
the dark. Pull the stick. Let one bee out and replace the stick. The bee
comes out of the hole and smells the syrup and anise and starts to feed and
fill up. As soon as you notice she is on the comb we take the cover off
completely and wait for her to feed. When done she will back out of the
hole and shake a little and start to fly. By this time we are laying down
on the road or whereever so as to follow her direction of flight. She will
fly in 3 to 8 maybe more circles some clockwise ans some counterclockwise
each circle gaining altitude and circumference. Take note of that direction
by compass reading. You may have bee from more than one swarm.  Repeat this
procedure. Do not move the box. The bees that have left will be back with
their buddys. I figure 5 minutes a mile 5 minutes to unload. Time for lunch
and a bottle of wine maybe a nap. Keep the comb filled with nectar or
syrup. In an hour or so the box may have hundreds of bees on it. You now
can generally look and find what direction the bees are flying in. With 10
or 20 bees in the box cover it up and keep in the dark. hike a 1/2 mile or
so and start over again. It will be quicker this time because you have
started with more bees. Keep your eyes in the trees and look for the
openings in the tops with clear shots to the sky. It may take you a couple
of trys and days to find a colony and that colony may be your neighbors
bees the next town over.
        I'm sure you  will have questions and I will be more than happy to
answer them.
        Happy Hollidays
        George
The Village Inn
East Burke Vt.05832
802-626-3161