The third edition has been completely updated with the latest information, particularly regarding Varroa destructor, and includes details of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), a new threat to our honey bees.
This is a companion volume to Celia’s first book, The Honey Bee Inside Out, which covers the anatomy and physiology of the honey bee. It begins by looking at the origin of honey bees and continues with a description of the different subspecies.
Disease is often a neglected topic but it is an important factor for the beekeeper to bear in mind. Celia details the major diseases affecting honey bees as well as other pests including the mite, Varroa destructor. The honey bee’s major function is as a pollinator of flowers, both in agriculture and the wider environment, and the final chapters look at the relationship between bees and flowers and the resultant products of the hive.
This new third edition is fully updated and has been expanded with an additional chapter looking at the broader picture of the situation facing honey bees today, such as new disease threats, loss of habitat and the use of agricultural pesticides.
Also included are an appendix giving the background to scientific terminology, a wide-ranging glossary including phonetic spellings and suggestions for further reading. This is a book that will inform anybody who is interested in this fascinating insect. It is based on the examination modules set by the British Beekeepers’ Association, but this text will prove interesting for anyone wanting to know more about our honey bees.
The book concludes with a glossary including phonetic spellings and suggestions for further reading. It is a book for anyone wanting to know more about our fascinating honey bees as well as those studying for the British Beekeepers’ Association examination modules.
- Honey bee beginnings
- The enemy within and without
- Variations
- When the kids are ill
- Problems with the grown ups
- Mighty mites
- The enemy within and without
- The broader picture
- Flower show
- The food of the gods
- Other bee essentials
- On best behaviour
- More than sweet, thick and sticky