Buy The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild on desertcart.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders Review: If you've wondered how bees get things done - As a new beekeeper, I found this book useful. It helped me to understand how the hive works, how the work is divided, and how the colony makes decisions. Because I had read this book, I knew what was happening when scout bees were investigating one of my swarm traps (bait hive), and when the swarm finally landed. I knew that my trap was just one of the candidates the swarm was considering. Another of my traps had scout bees investigating for several days, and then they left. My location was not chosen. I knew I needed to make that bait hive more attractive if I wanted it to catch a swarm. The book also gives a good understanding of how bees reproduce. Some new beekeepers will lament the presence of drone brood (developing male bees) because they think drones just drain resources and don't produce anything for the hive. Some will destroy the drones they find. These same people might then turn around and want to buy a mated queen for a colony that just lost a queen. Those "worthless" drones are not just valuable, they are critical to the reproductive process. They fly around in search of unmated queens. I had one colony that chose to replace their queen. I was glad when I finally saw evidence that a new queen was laying eggs in the hive. A drone from another hive made that possible, and I was thankful. It's a great book. It answers so many questions for a new beekeeper, or even for someone who just wants to know how bees do what bees do. I highly recommend it. Review: Very Informative, easy-to-read, great quality - The book itself is of excellent quality. The feel of the cover and the paper, the sheen, the type - all of it is excellent. The writing and information inside are GOLD. Wonderful author who presents an immense amount of research and information very clearly and directly. As a lay person/new beekeeper I found it really digestible. All practical information in anyone interested in keeping bees while still contributing to and preserving the vitality and genes of wild bee populations responsibly. I will keep this book as a reference and guide book. Especially useful to anyone not only curious about bees, but wanting to keep bees as naturally as possible.
| Best Sellers Rank | #164,224 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7 in Entomology (Books) #11 in Biology of Insects & Spiders |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (477) |
| Dimensions | 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches |
| Edition | Illustrated |
| ISBN-10 | 0691166765 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0691166766 |
| Item Weight | 2.35 pounds |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 376 pages |
| Publication date | May 28, 2019 |
| Publisher | Princeton University Press |
R**N
If you've wondered how bees get things done
As a new beekeeper, I found this book useful. It helped me to understand how the hive works, how the work is divided, and how the colony makes decisions. Because I had read this book, I knew what was happening when scout bees were investigating one of my swarm traps (bait hive), and when the swarm finally landed. I knew that my trap was just one of the candidates the swarm was considering. Another of my traps had scout bees investigating for several days, and then they left. My location was not chosen. I knew I needed to make that bait hive more attractive if I wanted it to catch a swarm. The book also gives a good understanding of how bees reproduce. Some new beekeepers will lament the presence of drone brood (developing male bees) because they think drones just drain resources and don't produce anything for the hive. Some will destroy the drones they find. These same people might then turn around and want to buy a mated queen for a colony that just lost a queen. Those "worthless" drones are not just valuable, they are critical to the reproductive process. They fly around in search of unmated queens. I had one colony that chose to replace their queen. I was glad when I finally saw evidence that a new queen was laying eggs in the hive. A drone from another hive made that possible, and I was thankful. It's a great book. It answers so many questions for a new beekeeper, or even for someone who just wants to know how bees do what bees do. I highly recommend it.
N**E
Very Informative, easy-to-read, great quality
The book itself is of excellent quality. The feel of the cover and the paper, the sheen, the type - all of it is excellent. The writing and information inside are GOLD. Wonderful author who presents an immense amount of research and information very clearly and directly. As a lay person/new beekeeper I found it really digestible. All practical information in anyone interested in keeping bees while still contributing to and preserving the vitality and genes of wild bee populations responsibly. I will keep this book as a reference and guide book. Especially useful to anyone not only curious about bees, but wanting to keep bees as naturally as possible.
G**Y
Great book
Well written and in-depth book. Highly recommended if you’re interested in bees and not specifically interested in types of hives etc.
B**R
Bee life
If you are a beekeeper you will love it. Not sure anyone else will but it could cause you to become a beekeeper.
J**N
A Must Read for Beekeepers
I'm very grateful to be able to read yet another wonderfully written and enlightening book by Professor Seeley. As a modest Beekeeper, I've often felt sad about what I assumed was the low survivability of the swarms that chose to leave for the surrounding forests despite my attempts at capture or enticements to stay. Reading this new book made me rethink my assumptions and ask myself whether those swarms in the woods are indeed the better off bees. And of course, it helps that all of my most trusted mentors love Professor Seeley's books.
K**R
A great read and treasure trove about bees!
Dr Seeley’s lifelong study of—and passion for—bees is factual and delightfully interesting. Obviously a story teller, he enthusiastically shows us the bees that collect water, the HVAC bees that heat and cool the hive, and the queens who insure survival by having many partners and SO much more. I’d love to take his classes!
E**E
The Lives of Bees Book: It’s complicated.
This is an interesting book with an abundance of insightful and tantalizing information about bees. However, it does include technical information, statistical data and mathematical calculations. Beekeepers will glean important information. But, this stellar tome is not a light read for individuals wanting just a breezy fun book on honeybees and their kin. Personally, I loved it- but this in not a book for general audiences
T**E
Taught me everything
This is one of the best books out there for new beekeepers. Shares his experiences and teaches you how bees like to live. I recommend this book to every Beekeeper!
S**A
Molto bello, ma pieno di ditate unte sulla copertina, che non si riuscivano a togliere senza rovinare il libro (il libro era da regalare).
N**I
The person I bought this for loved the book!
A**R
Excellent well presented book would definitely recommend especially if you’re looking for a beekeeping book that’s abit more in-depth that you’re normal bee keeping books
L**E
Paying $50 for a hardcover copy of this book as a gift and it shows up damaged. the sleeve is ripped. Not impressed Clearly was damaged BEFORE being packaged because the packaging was intact and undamaged. The book sleeve was damaged before packaging
R**L
Prof. Thomas Seeley ist in Imkerkreisen kein Unbekannter. Seit über 40 Jahren forscht er zu Bienenthemen. Sein Hauptanliegen ist es, die "natürliche" Lebensweise von Honigbienen zu erforschen und daraus Ratschläge für Imker abzuleiten, wie eine artgerechte Bienenhaltung zu organisieren ist. Diese Art des Imkerns nennt er "Darwinian Beekeeping". In diesem Buch fasst er seine wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse in leicht lesbarer Weise zusammen und ordnet die Informationen in zehn sinnvollen Kapiteln (z.B. Food Collection, The Nest, Colony Defense) sowie einer stichpunktartigen Zusammenfassung. Ich fand die Herangehensweise des Autors an seine wissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen faszinierend, seine lockere und verständliche, zugleich die Begeisterung für Honigbienen widerspiegelnde Darstellung hervorragend und seine Erkenntnisse und Schlussfolgerungen zumeist nachvollziehbar. Berufsimker werden Seeleys Thesen und Anliegen und seine Kritik an der Nutzung der Honigbiene als Produktionsmittel nicht schätzen. Aber für Hobbyimker ist dieses Buch eine großartige Quelle von Informationen über Apis mellifera, deren natürliche Lebensweise und Vorlieben, sowie ihr enorm hoch entwickeltes Verhaltensrepertoire. Pflichtlektüre also, genau wie Jürgen Tautz' "Phänomen Honigbiene".
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