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A guided tour inside the world of bees
Overtaxed and underrecognized-and now disappearing in alarming numbers- bees are the unsung heroes of the food chain, essential for the pollination of more than ninety of the crops we eat. The hardworking, humble, and matriarchal bee finally gets her due in this engaging and expertly written guide that will appeal to anyone who's ever been curious about the mysterious and always-buzzing world of bees.
Beekeeper Susan Brackney explains:
• Why honeybees are disappearing-and what we can do about it
• Who's who in the hive-the queen bee, the workers, and the drones
• Bees by the numbers-the number of bees per hive, the number of wing beats per second, and other fascinating facts
• Gardening tips to attract and support honeybees
• The beekeeper's trade-the essential equipment and the latest tools, a day in the life, and more
• Honey, pollen, wax, royal jelly, mead, and other products of the sweet life
• The secrets behind making a bee beard (or bee bikini) with live bees
...and much more
Introduction: The Birds and the Bees xi
Part 1 The Buzz About Bees
1 On Being a Bee 3
Honeybee Impostors 3
The Bee Family Tree 6
Oops... 9
2 Who's Who in the Hive 13
Girl Power 13
The Lazy, Yawning Drones 21
Cue the Barry White 23
Honeybee Destinies 26
They Are What They Eat 27
3 The Bee's Knees (and Other Bee Parts) 32
Bees by the Numbers 32
Just a Teaspoon for Me, Please... 35
What Honey Is and Is Not 35
Waxing Philosophical 36
What Makes a Bee a Bee 40
The Head 41
The Thorax 44
The Stickiest Stuff on Earth 45
The Abdomen 46
Gland Central Station 48
The Sting 48
Dang It! 52
4 Bees and the Bigger Picture 55
Bee Souls, Legends, and Lore 55
The Letters Bee 62
Bee Movies, Bee Beards, and Bee-kinis 64
5 Honeybee Perils 69
Why Bees Matter 69
Pests and Pestilence 71
Small but Mite-y 72
Stressed-Out Bees 74
The Biggest Threat Yet 75
Part 2 A Beekeeper's Life
6 A (Brief) History of Beekeeping 81
Death and Taxes 82
Other Early Beekeepers 86
America's Honeybee Patriots 88
Putting the "Bee" in B-52 95
7 Got Bees? 98
Building a Better Bee 101
A Beekeeper's Honey-Do List 104
Bees in the Trees 107
If You See a Swarm 110
To Bee or Not to Bee 110
8 Pleasing the Bees 117
Other Guests You'll Meet 120
Water, Water, Everywhere 128
The Honeybee Calendar 130
9 The Sweet Life 133
Honey Extraction 101 136
More Tools of the Trade 137
Tortured Honey Versus Tasty Honey 138
"Mad" Honey 141
Honey and the "Halo Effect" 143
Caveat Emptor 145
Yummy Honey Recipes 146
Minding Your Beeswax 150
Other Bee Goods 164
For the Good of Bees 167
Final Note 171
Who Needs Chickens Anyway? 171
Afterword 174
Further Reading and Resources 177
Permissions 179
Index 181
Anonymous
Posted December 8, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
A guided tour inside the world of bees
Overtaxed and underrecognized-and now disappearing in alarming numbers- bees are the unsung heroes of the food chain, essential for the pollination of more than ninety of the crops we eat. The hardworking, humble, and matriarchal bee finally gets her due in this engaging and expertly written guide that will appeal to anyone who's ever been curious about the mysterious and...