Bookshelf

Honeybee mites and their control - A selected annotated bibliography

by International Bee Research Association

FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 68/2, FAO, Rome, 1987. ISBN 92-5-102520- 7, 141 pages, paperback.

Available from FAO sales agents or from IBRA, price £7 (including postage).

This bibliography gives details of 800 references on mites that are, or may be parasitic upon honeybees. In the section on Acarapis woodi details of a few relevant historical papers are given, but most of the papers referred to describe the spread, distribution, biology and control of acarine disease. 72 pages of references on Varroa jacobsoni deal with every aspect of this mite: its spread and world distribution, biology, species of honeybees infested, general, chemical and non-chemical methods of control. Compared with Acarapis and Varroa, there is relatively little literature available regarding other mites parasitic upon honeybees: 25 references to Tropilaelaps clareae are cited, reflecting the current relatively limited distribution of this mite species.

This Bibliography will provide a most valuable source of information for anyone who needs an up-to-date guide to the literature available on honeybee mites.

(Many of the publications cited in this Bibliography are held in the IBRA library, and subject to normal regulations and charges, photocopies can be obtained from us.)

Honeybee diseases and enemies in Asia: a practical guide

by Pongthep Akratanakul

FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin, 68/5, FAO, Rome, 1987. ISBN 92-5-102519- 3,51 pages, paperback.

Available from FAO sales agents or from IBRA (price on application).

This publication describes concisely the various diseases, parasites and predators which face honeybees in Asia. The situation in Asia is made complex by the existence of at least 3 native species of honeybees, and introduced Apis mellifera, each with its own susceptibility to the range of Asian honeybee diseases and enemies, some of which are unique to the region.

This timely book describes the cause, symptoms and control of the commonly encountered diseases and the predatory honeybee mites and insects. The various vertebrates which can prey on honeybees are discussed, and the final paragraphs of Chapter 5 bear repetition here:

It is important to note that among the primate pests of honeybees, man is probably the most destructive: honey crops may be stolen, or brood and combs consumed on the spot. Occasionally, entire hives are made off with.

Finally, it must be borne in mind that in areas where intensive modern agriculture is practised, the losses of bees through man’s misuse of pesticides is probably greater than losses from all other causes taken together.

Chapter 6 gives straightforward and unbiased guidelines regarding honeybee introduction to new areas, stressing the importance of ensuring that if bees are to be introduced then they must be disease and parasite free. Chapter 7 concludes the book with advice on how to maintain the strength of honeybee colonies, and thereby reduce susceptibility to disease and attack by parasites and predators.

This is a valuable book, well illustrated and easy to read, and full of practical advice. It will be welcomed by beekeepers in Asia.

Pheromones of Social Bees

by John B Free

Chapman & Hall Ltd, London, 1987. ISBN 0-412-24740-2, 218 pages, hardback.

Available from IBRA price £18.80 (including postage).

Social insects need to communicate efficiently with other members of their community, and they achieve this by the use of pheromones, chemical substances which when released can influence the behaviour of other individuals.

Almost all aspects of honeybee life are governed by the release of pheromones, and to fully understand the biology of a colony of bees, we need therefore thorough knowledge of the pheromone systems involved, and this is what Professor Free’s new book provides.

The study of bee behaviour controlled by pheromones is made com- plex by the fact that each pheromone can have many different functions within the colony. For this reason Professor Free has selected the various colony systems and activities which must be controlled, and for each, described the pheromone mechanisms which govern it. Fourteen of the seventeen chapters of this book are devoted to discussion of the regulatory systems, for example, communication of queen’s presence, control of worker ovary development, nest and nestmate recognition, and mating pheromones. Professor Free describes the important factors in each system and the pheromones involved in its control. Whenever possible information on Apis species other than mellifera is given although discussion of tropical honeybee biology is hindered by the fact that relatively little information on the pheromones of tropical honeybees is yet available. The final two chapters of the book discuss the pheromones involved in bumblebee behaviour.

This new publication is highly readable, clearly set out and well illustrated. Students of bee biology will find it an important text to keep beside them, and all who admire bees will find this a worthwhile and interesting read.

Bee Genetics and Breeding edited

by Thomas E Rinderer

Academic Press, Inc, 1986. ISBN 0-12- 588920-8, 426 pages, hardback.

Available from IBRA, price £56 (including postage).

This new publication provides a thorough review and introduction to the science of bee genetics and breeding. Part I discusses bee genetics, with world authorities providing overviews of our current knowledge of bee evolution, classification and the science involved. This could well serve as a text for a University course on bee genetics. Part Il covers practical aspects of bee breeding and provides detailed practical information on selection, mating designs, the Storage of germplasm, instrumental insemination and the accomplishments which are possible by honeybee breeding. This part of the book will be of greatest value to those who are practically involved in queen rearing and honeybee selection. This publication provides a unique and thorough text for those with a serious interest in bee breeding and genetics.

Honeybees and Wax. An experimental natural history

by H R Hepburn

Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York, 1986. ISBN 3-540-169180, 205 pages, hardback.

Available from IBRA, price £40 (including postage).

There are relatively few publications available on beeswax, and this new book is a useful addition to the literature. Part I deals with the physical nature of beeswax and how it is produced by bees, and Part II describes the manipulation of wax by honeybees, from the removal of wax scales through to cell building and comb construction. Part III covers the production of wax by the colony: what triggers it throughout the year, and the spacing and density of comb building. A large number of references are provided throughout the book, and along with many useful illustrations, this provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of the science of beeswax.