<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>…there are still forested areas not a
> half hour's drive
> from my apiaries that lack ferals or escapees.

Hi Randy,
The past few years with my feral bee project, my observation has shown an anomaly.  Ferals appear to be recovering in small towns and sparsely populated areas, with most ferals being found within 100 yards of a structure or home.  There perhaps may be some good reason for this, because in my area, old coal patch towns are abundant and often contain voids having NO insulation, and 200 plus year old border trees, abandon farms and structures are plentiful, providing a most essential part of bee habitat which are the ‘quality voids‘.  

I do know of a few locations of beetrees in the forest, but I do not get many calls for the forest ferals, perhaps because there are fewer eyes in these areas to report the existence of a feral colony, and they can be very difficult to find also.  So I remind myself; “If a beetree falls in the middle of the forest, and there is no one there to see it, were there bees in that tree?”  

You can see on this site below; even though positioning is done by coordinates,  it appears that ferals like to stay near roads, interstates and small towns.  And on the map, many describe the locations something like,,, “in the tree is behind my home“ etc.
http://www.savethehives.com/fbp/Map.html
I am supportive of the feral bee project at savethehives.com because is a good first step to promote the importance, and preservation of feral honeybees, and it does illustrate well, ‘what is seen’ is most likely to get reported.

-------->
Replying to other letters about the difficulty experienced in baiting in feral bees:

When using bait stations to find ferals, sometimes bees will not locate the bait quickly, so there needs to be a strong odor to serve as an attractant, and just such an account is given in;  “Travels in the interior inhabited parts of North America. In the years 1791 and 1792”.
On page 258 Patrick Campbell describes 
"A method of finding out bees in the woods"

“...He Proceeds in the woods until he
comes to the largest growth of timber he can
find ; there he stops and puts up a little fire;
on a flat stone in this fire, he puts a little bees
wax, ...the smell of burnt bees wax will attract them.”

Campbell goes on to mention other essential tools needed:
“...takes with him his dog for a companion, and his gun, 
as no man is safe in the woods without both; a blanket 
to lie on at night, and a tomahawk”

So don’t forget to take these things!  ;)
Best Wishes
Joe


      

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