Beesfor Development Journal 82
AVAILABLE FROM Bf D NOW AT WWW.BEESFORDEVELOPMENT.ORG
BOOK SHELF HONEY BEE DISEASES AND PESTS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE Wolfgang Ritter and Pongthep Akratanakul 2006 42 pages Soft cover £12.50 (€17.75) Code R225 This useful book is a revised edition of the earlier FAO text on honey bee diseases and parasites. It concisely and correctly covers all the main problems: microbial diseases; parasitic bee mites; insects; and vertebrates. The rapid spread of honey bee diseases and parasites world-wide is underlined by the many changes that have taken place since the publication of the first edition in 1987. Today, beekeepers in many more countries have Varroa destructor infesting their honey bee colonies, and most have heard of another mite - Tropilaelaps clareae, that is still confined to Asia. One of today’s most problematical ‘international honey bee predators’: small hive beetle Aethina tumida, was not even mentioned in the 1987 text. However, these parasites and disease would not be killing bees in so many parts of the world without assistance by man to move these pathogens far outside their original range, introducing them to populations and species of honey bees that have not evolved in their presence. The two paragraphs that close the book’s section on ‘mammals’ remain highly pertinent: ‘It is important to note that among the primate pests of honey bees, people are 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, note that in areas where intensive modern apiculture is practised, the loss of bees through human misuse of pesticides is probably greater than loss from all other causes taken together’.
HONEY: A MODERN WOUND MANAGEMENT PRODUCT Richard White, Rose Cooper and Peter Molan 2005 160 pages A5 soft cover £25 (€37.50) Code W111 For over 4,000 years, honey has been known as a natural remedy in caring for wounds, and these healing properties are now being studied scientifically. Faced with serious clinical problems caused by bacteria becoming resistant to common antibiotics, microbiologists are investigating alternative approaches, and turning their attention to honey. Honey has valuable properties for wound treatment, does not adversely affect human tissue, is unlikely to create the selective conditions that lead to resistance, and is comparatively inexpensive. This book describes the anti-microbial action of honey, its capacity to combat inflammation and to promote healing and tissue regeneration. Recent research has focused on the sterile, medical-grade honey products that are harvested and processed specifically for wound management. The book summarises recent research findings, and, containing as it does many colour pictures of wounds in various stages of healing, is not for the faint-hearted.
SMALL-SCALE WOODLAND-BASED ENTERPRISES WITH OUTSTANDING ECONOMIC POTENTIAL - THE CASE OF HONEY IN ZAMBIA G Mickels-Kokwe 2006 82 pages Soft cover £5 (€7.5) admin & delivery costs Code M111 This new book describes a study undertaken by CIFOR, the Center for International Forestry Research, with the aim of providing information for the Zambian Government to develop an appropriate beekeeping policy. To this end, the beekeeping sector (in selected provinces) is characterised: the resource base and levels of production and trade are examined, potential is assessed, and existing policies and institutional arrangements are described. There is a useful description of the honey marketing chain. Information was gathered from literature review, the preparation of stakeholder profiles, interviews, four stakeholder workshops, and survey of prices. The outcome is this extremely useful guide to the honey and beeswax sector in Zambia, providing an up to date and realistic assessment. The information provided is exactly what is needed for institutions to make rational decisions when preparing policy or interventions to assist beekeepers. Just one interesting (and evidently true) point from the book’s discussion chapter is the fact that poor beekeepers often shun groups when it comes to selling their product, and prefer to sell quickly for cash, rather than participate in slow marketing by a group. Yet beekeeping projects so often insist upon group activities, often justified by the high capital costs of so-called ‘modern’ beekeeping. A welcome addition to the literature on African forest and beekeeping development.
GUIDE TO BEES AND HONEY Ted Hooper 2007 276 pages Soft cover £14.99 (€22.50) Code H450 This beekeeping text has proved enduringly popular and valuable. It provides a reliable, comprehensive introduction on how to begin beekeeping with European bees and equipment. There are many photographs and illustrations. Another ‘goodie’ returns to Bookshelf thanks to this reprint by Northern Bee Books. 12
