Question about the local honeybees

[bugmankeith]

I'm so confused!

Every year during the warm weather I get a few honeybees visiting my yard, but out of the 18 years of living at this property, I have never seen a hive or nest anywhere nearby, not even a couple blocks down.

So where could the hives be? How far will bees travel away from their hive/nest exactly?

I would love to see a hive in the wild from a safe distance.

This is where having a scientist put a tracking device on a honeybee would really come to good use!

 

[Galapoheros]

I read how far they will travel but I can't remember:? . As far as finding them goes, I've found hives while hiking around. You can hear them buzzing at the hive from many feet away. Thing is that there is so much background noise in neighborhoods and cities that it can be hard to hear that buzz. Even after I know basically where the hive is because of the buzz, it's still sometimes hard to find.

 

[Waspman]

Look in areas that are on the edge of the city where some wild growth is present.

I live in Houston and I've found 10+ feral hives over the past few years, mainly under overpasses over ditches, in old tires, under thick tarps, in sinkholes. Areas that are just now being developed are the best, since there is a buildup of junk in fields that people have dumped there.

I'm not sure if this helps alot for your location though.

 

[bugmankeith]

I live in NY, but not the actual city. Long Island (yes an island) is part of NY state, so I guess it's not as polluted.

By me there arent many forest areas if that's what you mean, and the small forest area by me only had a giant wasp nest, no honeybees i've been looking.

Here the habitat is mostly people's grassy yards with shrubs and trees and mabye a garage, and all the supermarkets. But nothing where bees would nest I dont think, unless a house was abandoned which is very rare here.

There are many new houses being built, but they would kill the nest before the bees settle in.

There is a very large junkyard for smashing cars a few blocks down, and ways to see railroad tracks, but I cant go past there to look. Mabye the bees have settled on the side of those brick buildings?

If someone can say how far they will travel from their nest, mabye I can travel that distance and look around.

 

[rooster]

this may help, or confuse you more lol

http://www.goodbyecitylife.com/bees/wildhoneyhive.htm

 

[PINK1081]

Honey bees will travel up to 5 miles in search of necter and pollen. There are many hives on Long Island, my uncle used to inspect hives there for the state. I have 3 hives about 30 feet from the front door of my business, but few of my customers even know I have them. The bees leave the hive and within a short distance they are above the trees and gone, so to find that feral hive you must almost be on top of it to see it. I have never seen a feral hive in this area but I am sure there are many out there.
Keep looking.. good luck .. Jim

 

[bugmankeith]

5 miles, well I guess I have more searching to do then, thanks.