Bookshelf

Plants and honeybees: their relationships

David Aston and Sally Bucknall

2004 152 pages Paperback £19.00 (€28.50) Code A455

This book fills a niche not quite occupied by any other on the beekeepers’ bookshelf. It assumes little scientific knowledge from the reader, gently introducing concepts such as taxonomy and the fundamentals of flower structure and of bee biology, and how these relate to the interdependency of bees and flowering plants. There are chapters on each of the products that bees obtain from plants: nectar, pollen, honeydew and propolis. Also very clear explanations of pollination and fertilisation, and the need for conservation of bee forage. The Annexes usefully include methods for preparing slides to identity pollen grains, together with lists of plant families used by bees, wildflower and grass seed mixtures for different soil types, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers for honeybees. The botanical information relates to the British Isles. Clearly written and presented, the book is well illustrated with line drawings and 24 excellent colour plates.

Sweetness and light: the mysterious history of the honey bee

Hattie Ellis

2004 290 pages Hardback £17.00 (€25.50) Code E055

A long essay about bees, beekeeping and beekeepers. Skilfully weaving together the author's research in the subject with anecdotes and with the history and culture surrounding the world of the bee. Definitely a sweet gift for anyone interested to know

Starting with bees

Peter Gordon

2004 96 pages Paperback A5 £9.10 (€13.70) Code G155

Written for those who are new to the craft, beekeeping, this book comprehensively describes beekeeping with frame hives and European honeybees. Step-by-step instructions and black and white photographs and illustrations further clarify the techniques. Appendices on bee stings and legislation followed by a glossary complete this useful guide.

Proceedings of the First European Conference of Apidology

Iris Bernardinelli and Norberto Milani (Editors)

Hot off the press come these Proceedings of the meeting held in September 2004, in Udine, Italy. The book consists of 250 abstracts of research papers presented at the Conference, and serves as a rapid introduction to who is doing what in European bee research. Topics covered are bee biology, genetics, management, pathology, products, and bees as pollinators.

During the Conference the Association for Bee Research, ‘EurBee' was founded. If you wish to join, download a membership form at hitp://web.uniud.it/eurbee/

Bees

Deborah Hodge

2004 32 pages Paperback A4 £9.80 (€14.70) Code H305

This book is produced in association with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science to help children discover bees. Full colour illustrations and photographs interspersed with short bursts of text and facts in speech balloons make this enjoyable education. Mostly about honeybees we see a brief introduction to anatomy, life cycle, honey, pollination and ‘bee buddies' (flowers to me and you). One page explains there are at least 25,000 bee species in the world including bumblebees, solitary mining bees, giant mason bees, African cuckoo bees and sweat bees. Fun activities to try are building a bee, honeycomb printing and making flowers.

DVD - Beekeeping in the Philippines

Horst Wendort

2003 80+ minutes Set of two 2 DVDs £29.70 (€44.50) Code VID31

In BfDJ65 Horst Wendorf described his work on the beekeeping development project in the Mount Kanla-on area of Negros Island in the Philippines. This is a comprehensive double DVD account of this project. The introduction explains that in rural areas, one in two families live below the poverty line. Almost all the indigenous tropical forest has been destroyed for seasonal crop cultivation - coconut, coffee, sugar and tobacco. With forests protected there was a need to restore biodiversity and to assist households who depend on the natural resources... beekeeping was high on the list.

Of the known indigenous honeybee species in the Philippines, only Apis cerana can be kept in hives. The annual honey yield per colony of Apis cerana is 4-5 kg per year relatively low yield. Introduced Apis mellifera honeybees yield over 20 kg per colony and this species was chosen for the project. How the bees were brought to the island, the imported equipment, subsequently renewed by local craftspeople, and training given to the new beekeepers are described.

DVD 2 first discusses queen rearing and then harvesting and marketing. This project is similar to many others in that the quantity of locally produced honey is always less than demand. Only honey was a successful product. The beekeepers became content that the pollen they collected was sufficient to feed their bees during the monsoon season. A party featuring The Biak Na Bato Band whose rhythms accompany the whole film, is followed by a solemn chapter on pests and diseases, especially the extensive and costly treatments required against Varroa. In conclusion, prospects and lessons learned from the project close this interesting and thought raising account.

Pollen - all packed up and nowhere to go

Madeline Harley

2004 28 pages Paperback £5.00 (€7.50) Code H135

Madeline Harley is responsible for research on pollen at the UK's Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, with access to eight million plant specimens collected over 150 years. In this booklet she concisely explains why pollen is such remarkable stuff. While pollen may seem like annoying dust to humans, closer examination reveals a phenomenal range of structural variation in the outer packaging of plants' male reproductive cells. Pollen strategy - that is the ways in which pollen is transferred from one plant to another, (with the avoidance of self-pollination) - is discussed. Finally, an explanation of how those very few pollen grains that escape being eaten by birds or bees or being lost to the wind, arrive at the surface of a compatible plant stigma and achieve their ultimate goal: ovule fertilisation. This is an excellent introduction to pollen, and with a useful glossary. Also references, diagrams and photographs of pollen grains as shown right.

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