Adrian M Wenner wrote:
>
>   My co-workers and I found the traditional techniques too inefficient for
>the task we faced and developed our own method, one that enabled us to find
>about 150 colonies.  We published our thoughts in 1992 in an article, now
>readily available as item #12 on the following website:
>
>http://www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/index.htm
>

Adrian,

Thanks for pointing me to your article "Efficient hunting of feral
colonies". I enjoyed
reading the article and intend to try some of the techniques mentioned.

One of the most difficult parts of bee hunting for me is keeping an eye on
the bee
while she makes her orientation circles. Some of the "circles" end up being very
oblong. As the bee whips past you its very easy to lose her.

In you article you mentioned Christmas-tree tinsel to mark bees. If I "super
glued" a
small length of tinsel to a bee's foot after she has loaded up with
honey-water, do
you think she would head for home?... or, would she land somewhere nearby to try
and remove the tinsel? If she headed for home, certainly she would be easier to
follow. Is there an ethical question here (i.e.  intentionally making a bee
uncomfortable)? I think I would be able to sleep. Also, could you clip the
tips of the
bee's wings so she flys much slower? - making it easier to follow her.

How do you anaesthetize a bee? Can the lay person do it?

Thanks
John Bachman