Table of Contents

Introducing the Bee 6-11 CHAPTER 1 Evolution & Development The Evolution of Bees 14-15 Honey Hunting & Beekeeping 16-17 The Different Bee Groups 18-19 The Evolution & Development of the Honey Bee 20-21 Wild Bees Worldwide 22-23 CHAPTER 2 Anatomy & Biology What Makes Bees Different? 26-27 Anatomy of a Honey Bee 28-29 Flight & Internal Anatomy 30-31 Bee Senses 32-33 Genetics 34-35 Genomics & Informatics 36-37 Hormones-the Endocrine System 38-39 Immunology 40-41 Pests & Diseases 42-43 Reproduction 44-45 The Bee's Life Cycle 46-47 Pollination 48-49 CHAPTER 3 Society & Behavior Sociality 52-53 Pathways to Eusociality 54-55 Reproductive Division of Labor 56-57 Swarming 58-59 Communication 60-61 Dance Communication 62-63 Olfaction 64-65 Navigation 66-67 Foraging Behavior 68-69 Crafting 70-71 Nesting 72-73 Circadian Rhythms 74-75 Thermoregulation 76-77 Changing Behavior Over Time: Temporal Polyethism 78-79 Defense & aggression 80-81 Parenting 82-83 Courtship 84-85 Sexual Reproduction 86-87 Mating Systems 88-89 CHAPTER 4 Bees & Humans Ancient & Modern Knowledge 92-93 Scientific Research Today 94-95 An Economic Force 96-97 Spirituality 98-99 Islam, Judaism & Christianity 100-101 Patron Saints of Beekeeping 102-103 Political Symbolism 104-105 What if Bees Were to Disappear? 106-107 CHAPTER 5 Beekeeping The Basics 110-111 Keeping Other Bees 112-113 Ancient Hive Designs 114-115 Langstroth Hives 116-117 Observation Hives 118-119 Data Tracking 120-121 Urban Beekeeping 122-123 Harvesting 124-125 "Natural" Beekeeping 126-127 Swarming 128-129 Integrated Management 130-131 Arthropod Pests 132-133 Bacterial, Fungal & Viral Infections 134-137 CHAPTER 6 A Directory of Bees Solitary Bees 140-163 Bumble Bees 164-172 Stingless Bees 173-179 Honey Bees 180-185 CHAPTER 7 The Challenges Faced by Bees An Introduction to Bee Losses 188-189 Weather & Climate 190-191 Habitat Loss 192-193 Changes in Agriculture 194-195 Modern Farming 196-198 Agrochemicals 199-201 Pests & Diseases 202-203 Other Threats to Bees 204-205 Fear of Bees 206-207 Pollinators, the Environment & Conservation 208-209 Research Initiatives to Help Bees 210-211 How We Can Help the Bees 212-213 Useful Resources Bibliography 216-218 Index 219-222 Author Biographies 223 Acknowledgments 224

About the Author

Noah Wilson-Rich is founder and chief scientific officer of The Best Bees Company, a Boston-based beekeeping service and research organization. Kelly Allin was lab manager at the Best Bees Company’s Urban Beekeeping Laboratory and Bee Sanctuary during the writing of this book. Norman Carreck is scientific director of the International Bee Research Association. Andrea Quigley is a freelance writer who contributes regularly to beekeeping journals.

Reviews

"Honorable Mention for the 2015 National Outdoor Book Awards, Nature and the Environment, NOBA Foundation"

"The natural history of solitary, bumble, honey and stingless bees is as gripping as our lengthy alliance, as urban beekeeper Noah Wilson-Rich and contributors show in this charming compilation. They cover evolution, biology (including a unique proboscis made of two organs), behaviours (such as honey bee 'quacking'), the causes of catastrophic die-offs, and more."---Barbara Kiser, Nature

"You don't have to be a scientist or even a beekeeper to understand the material or to grasp the importance of bees to our way of life. The author's passion for his subject is obvious without being weighty, the diagrams are on point, and the photographs are a joy. . . . The Bee: A Natural History illustrates the entire story in a quick but fascinating portrait. Be sure to put this one on your wish list."---Rusty Burlew, Honey Bee Suite

"A well-illustrated introduction to the biology of bees."---Ian Paulsen, Birdbooker Report

"A comprehensive guide to the bee and covers every topic imaginable, including bee evolution, behaviour, beekeeping, anatomy and reproduction. Each section in the book is filled with stunning, detailed photography that compliments the informative accompanying text. . . . You could spend hours simply perusing the pictures in this book and finding something new every time. The Bee: A Natural History is a perfect coffee-table book, but offers so much more than pretty pictures. The author is clearly an expert in his field and the chapters go into quite a lot of depth, without alienating the reader. It strikes an appropriate balance between appearance and content."
*Bookbag*

"This book is a valuable addition the bookshelves of anyone with an interest and love of the bee."---Sue Closs, Welsh Beekeeper

"By contrasting the biologies and behaviours of some of the solitary bees, stingless bees, masons, carpenters and bumbles, the author presents an interesting and readable handbook on this insect icon and its wild relatives."---Richard Jones, BBC Wildlife

"While most people are familiar with the European honeybees that populate commercial hives, the rest of world of bees is probably less known. The Bee, A Natural History by Noah Wilson-Rich sets out to fill you in on the rest of the story. . . . If you'd like to get to know your neighborhood bees better, this book is a good place to start."---Tom Palmer, Lakeland Ledger

"A compendium of knowledge on the 20,000 or so bee species in the world and the state of humans' relationship with them throughout history. It's fertile soil for any bee inquiry you want to make."---Susan Clotfelter, Denver Post

"Because humans have observed and cultivated social bees for millennia . . . we know enough about those little creatures to fill many books. Open to any page of this one and you will get a short, sweet primer on some aspect of bee biology, behavior, husbandry, or ecology. . . . For the reader whose appetite for bee-stuff has been whetted, there's a good bibliography that you can pursue to fill in the fine points. If there are no books on bees in your house, this is the first one you should buy. And if bees could read, I'm sure there would be a copy of this book in every hive."---Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History

"The Bee is a quick and easy-to-read overview of a topic that would be equally useful for the layperson who knows little about bees and the beekeeper who wants to learn about bees from a more general perspective. Be prepared for a visual treat."---Roberta Gibson, Wild About Ants

"An everyman's guide to all things bee. . . . The Bee: A Natural History by Noah Wilson-Rich is fascinating, fun, and beautiful, a book that is accessible enough for anyone with a general interest, but interesting enough for those with longstanding bee fever. The writing and layout are straightforward and understandable, and the many beautiful pictures should definitely make the book, broad as it is, appealing to a broad audience."---Mary Bowling, Englewood Review of Books

"This beautifully designed book has great photos and a very appealing look. Each section is very short and gives you a summary of one aspect of bees' lives."
*Trumpeter*

"Enjoy this lovely book. It might lead you into unknown depths of bee life where you never expected to go."---A.C., Wildlife Activist

"For the novice who has an interest in bees, this book presents a remarkable breadth of topics and provides an entry point to their fascinating biology."---Gard W. Otis, Great Lakes Entomologist

"It is an engaging, wide-ranging introduction to the natural history of the bee that I found to be a real ‘page turner.' One can learn a great deal about bees from the book and, as such, it can serve as an excellent introductory text book on the subject for both formal and informal students of entomology. . . . [T]his beautiful book is a real bargain. Bottom line: highly recommended."---C.P. Dufault, Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada

"I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all who are concerned with what the future holds for our children. Share its content with your friends and family; become an advocate for pollinators everywhere."---David Gascoigne, Travels With Birds