The Bee Book: The Wonder of Bees – How to Protect them – Beekeeping Know-how

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There is a quote from Darwin’s research where he noted that bees sometimes copy the behaviour of “Humble bees” (didn’t know that). I smiled when I read how Darwin spelled bumble bees, since the Swedish word is “Humlor”, much closer to the word Darwin used. And “hum” is probably chosen because of how they sound when they fly. Discover how you can support bee populations where you live, with advice on creating bee hotels and nectar-rich wild gardens, or take the next step and try your hand at beekeeping. The Bee Book contains all the essential information you need to set up your own hive, establish your own colony, and care for your bees. It even includes ideas for making the most of the honey, beeswax, and propolis your hive will produce, including a honey and clay face mask, soothing cough drops, and luxurious body butter. Bees need to sleep and will rest several hours each day during the eternal daylight of polar summer. This is a scientific approach to pollination and pollinators, and not entirely about bees, but a large chapter is devoted to them. Everything related to pollination is covered in this tome, so it is an excellent reference source." – recommended by Eric Grissell Meet the humble honeybee face-to-face - an animal that is considered nature's hardest worker, in this engaging, educational kids book that you can treasure forever.

Lars Chittka presents work ranging over many decades exploring how bees sense the world, learn, solve problems, and communicate. The purpose of the book is to suggest that bees (and likely most insects and animals of all kinds) have at least a basic form of consciousness, and are capable of many of the same feats of general intelligence we associate to human beings. This is accomplished by sharing study after study, discussing not just results and methodology, but also what the findings contribute to the big picture, and a bit of the history and context around the people doing the research. An incredibly rich and complex examination of the interior life of bees, well-suited to those with a deep and abiding interest in scientific experimentation and its subsequent nomenclatures. I am not one of them. While the subject is utterly fascinating, I found my mind wandering all too often as I struggled to maintain interest in its presentation. That said, the importance of understanding the subjectively conscious life of bees is not lost on me. I simply have little interest in the extreme amount of detail that Chittka presents. The book does not feel extraordinarily accessible to the scientific layman, and I believe it suffers as a result. i liked this author because of his appreciation for other entomologists + he seemed like he really understood the need for relationships between scientists. good on him.Though not exclusively about bees, this book covers the subject of pollination in an entirely gardener-friendly manner. It discusses bees, which play a huge role in pollination, and just about anything written to encourage pollinators will benefit bees." recommended by Eric Grissell

I was really drawn to Tom Seeley’s The Lives of Bees. He IS the bee keeper’s bee keeper."—Ira Flatow, Science Friday This is a wonderful and original book about honey bees, unlike the numerous 'hand books' which are the staple fare of beekeepers. Professor Seeley has turned the idea of keeping bees on its head, pointing out the many indications that our current methods of exploiting honey bees may be quite harmful to them, or at best, not helpful. . . . so well-researched and presented that I feel it should be basic and essential reading for all beekeepers"— An Beachaire A great book to give you some ideas of what to put in your own patch of garden to help feed honey bees and wild bees. recommended by Karin Alton That said, it’s not a particularly expensive hobby. Most of the costs are incurred during the initial setup (buying the hive, tools, and bees you need). A lovely old book, with colour plates and other illustrations, and lots of natural history about this wonderful collection of insects. recommended by Karin AltonAn impassioned account of honey bees by one of the most respected ecological bee researchers who is also a master storyteller. This charming, informative, and profusely illustrated book is one to curl up with in an easy chair while sipping honey-laced hot tea."—Stephen L. Buchmann, The Quarterly Review of Biology

Having already read Honeybee Democracy, which is referenced quite often in this book, and The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild, I had a solid base before starting this one, but I think reading this book first would have been better. It's broader in its scope, so if you haven't read Seeley's yet, you may want to start here instead. Definitely read Honeybee Democracy afterwards, though, since it details the waggle dance and the social structure of bees, and it's fascinating. Also referenced assiduously is Karl von Frisch, who was a giant in this field of study. I have yet to read any of his books because I think they're even more technical than Seeley's, but Animal Architecture is calling my name.As long as you have space for a hive with a reasonable gap around it (and plenty of flowers to pollinate nearby) you have space to start beekeeping. First off - there were very few photos of insects in this book. Insects are cool, but seeing them up close (esp. with extreme magnification of compound eyes) gives me the heebies. This is an excellent book, and one I would recommend to all beekeepers, not to mention anyone with a fascination for this amazing little insect."—Amanda Williams, Buzz About Bees The story of what would happen to our ecosystem if one key species disappeared with tips on how children can protect our natural resources.

Great book. Detailed and informative, with a good deal of experimental and historical evidence to support the author’s points. A bit on the wonky side and loaded with information so one needed to pay attention and contemplate what was being presented.Considering the costs of becoming a beekeeper is incredibly important. Buying a book on keeping bees is just the start of the money you’ll need to spend.