Bookshelf

HONEYBEES OF ASIA

Edited by Randall Hepburn and Sarah E Radloff 2011 670 pages Hardback £155 (€232) H255

The honey bee is one of the most researched and documented species after our own. Today we recognise nine species of Apis honey bees: Apis andreniformis, Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, Apis florea, Apis koschevnikovi, Apis laboriosa, Apis mellifera, Apis nigrocincta and Apis nuluensis. All of these, except Apis mellifera occur naturally in Asia. Yet most bee research has been conducted on Apis mellifera, and of the estimated 100,000 publications on honey bees, only around 4% of this literature concerns Asian honey bee species. This new text contributes to rectifying the consequences of this situation, bringing together detailed reviews by specialists in each field. The chapters cover: (1) The Asian species of Apis (2) Phylogeny of the Genus Apis (3) Biogeography (4) Asian honey bees and mitochondrial DNA (5) Genetic consideration (6) Biology of nesting (7) Absconding, migration and swarming (8) Comparative reproductive biology of honey bees (9) Pheromones (10) Honey bees in natural ecosystems (11) The pollination role of honey bees (12) Foraging (13) Energetic aspects of flight (14) The dance language (15) Diseases of Asian honey bees (16) Asian honey bee mites (17) Colony defence and natural enemies (18) Self assembly processes in honey bees: the phenomenon of shimmering and (19) Interspecific interactions among Asian honey bees. Finally Chapter 20 presents a bibliography of Asian species of honey bees that lists around 3,500 references by 3,000 authors, published between 1787 and 2009. Written by top experts in their fields, there is information here that has not yet been published in journals. This is therefore an essential text for everyone undertaking Asian honey bee research.

STINGLESS BEES IMPORTANCE, MANAGEMENT AND UTILISATION

Peter Kwapong, Kwame Aidoo, Rofela Combey, Afia Karikari 2010 72 pages

This is a highly original, well conceived and useful new text. It has brought together local and scientific knowledge, and presents these in a way that trainers and students can readily learn and understand. Part One provides general information on stingless bees - their biology, economic importance, how to culture them, and details of their products and marketing. Part Two describes the practice of stingless beekeeping: how to locate and capture wild nests, looking after the bees, harvesting from them, and utilising them for pollination. It also mentions how to help trainees to discover the aesthetic value of stingless bees and to encourage the public to understand the need for conservation of these bees and their habitats. The text will be a very useful aid to training, with each unit setting out learning objectives and then delivering the necessary details. Clearly illustrated and written in an understandable way, this text will be useful for training wherever stingless bees exist.

BEEKEEPING IN SOUTH AFRICA

M F Johannsmeier 2001 288 pages £24 (€36) J205

BfD Store is now able to provide copies of the most recent edition of The Blue Book as Martin Johannsmeier's text has been popularly known since it was first published in 1973. It is written primarily for beekeepers in South Africa but is a useful reference for beekeepers throughout Africa as its almost 300 pages provide a great wealth of information on aspects of African apiculture. Practical beekeeping information focuses on the frame hive beekeeping practised in South Africa. Top-bar hives are covered while other African methods are mentioned very briefly. The text contains much useful detail about honey and beeswax harvesting and handling, and provides details not covered in other texts such as the poisoning of bees, crop pollination and beekeeping legislation.

BEE MANUAL

Claire and Adrian Waring 2011 169 pages Hardback £20.99 (€30) W205

For 50 years Haynes Publishing has produced manuals about car and motorcycle maintenance and many DIY-related topics. These manuals have been translated into numerous languages and are well known and used worldwide, appreciated for their exceptional clarity and practical approach. And now here is the Haynes Bee Manual, written by Claire and Adrian Waring, and with a foreword by (our own Bf D Trust Patron) Bill Turnbull. The text follows Haynes’ winning formula with an abundance of practical detail accompanied by excellently clear diagrams and colour pictures. It describes conventional, frame hive beekeeping as practised in the UK with indigenous Apis mellifera honey bees, and is an excellent guide for beekeepers who are using these resources.

ALSO NOW IN STORE

Backyard beekeeping and honey production by Phil Rant. 2011 112 pages £10.99 (€16.50) R215

Bumblebees Oliver E Prŷs-Jones and Sarah A Corbet. 2011 3rd edition 130 pages £20.99 (€31.50) P205