Bookshelf

THE SYSTEMIC INSECTICIDES - A DISASTER IN THE MAKING

Henk Tennekes 2010 70 pages Hardback £28 (€42) T105

An excellent text presenting evidence of the consequences of systemic insecticides on European wildlife, where many naturalists concerned for birds have undertaken careful research counting numbers of species over many years. It is therefore possible to compare current population sizes of insect-eating bird species with reliable data from 30 years ago. The scientific evidence reveals that these bird species are declining on a massive scale. There is also review of scientific data on the increasing use and detection in the wider environment of neonicotinoid insecticides. When used as seed dressings, neonicotinoids migrate to every part of the plant: leaf tips, all parts of flowers and pollen. These insecticides damage the central nervous systems of insects, and very small quantities are effective. Since 2004 they have been detected as major contaminants of Dutch surface water, killing or debilitating non-target insects and possibly other arthropods, and progressively reducing food supplies for insect-feeding birds. The concise text and diagrams, with every fact supported by a reference from scientific literature, are accompanied by beautiful artwork: this provides an accessible way for the layman to be informed of the environmental disaster humans are causing. The text quotes Graham White, an environmental author who keeps bees in the UK Scottish borders: “We are witnessing an ecological collapse in all the wildlife that used to live in fields, hedgerows, ponds and streams. All the common species we knew as children are being wiped from the face of the countryside”.

BEE KEEPING - A NOVICE’S GUIDE

David Wootton 2011 128 pages £17.99 (€27) W310

The author of this book writes: “I wrote this book as a novice beekeeper myself. As a pro-photographer I was photographing my bees and beekeeping in general and felt that most books were not illustrated very well and were written by experts who assumed the new reader knew something. My book is not an expert’s view, but a book to take the novice beekeeper through their first two years with images illustrating the main points”.

This beautifully produced book contains fantastic pictures of bees and British beekeepers at work and provides an excellent guide.

AN HOLISTIC WAY IN SAVING THE “HONEYBEE”

John Harding 2010 78 pages £11 (€17) H310

There are dozens of new books on beekeeping being published these days, some of them very much like others, a criticism that does not apply to this eccentrically titled text. It proposes how electromagnetic geopathic stress lines contribute to bee well being: according to the author, a honey bee colony living in a hive above a stress line will be healthier and more active than a colony located in the ‘wrong’ place, that is not above a stress line. The author has invented much equipment and uses various techniques, and along the way we hear of his ex-wife Cynthia and other aspects of his bee-focussed life. Definitely a unique read with food for thought. The text does tend to shout at the reader, with important points emphasised in LARGE FONT.

THE COMPLETE AND EASY GUIDE TO BEEKEEPING

Kim Flottum 2011 268 pages £15.99 (€24) F305

A beautifully produced guide to beekeeping as practised in North America using European races of Apis mellifera honey bees in frame hives. All the information that a beginner beekeeper needs to know is here, with clearly explained text and excellent illustrations. Chapter 1 is Starting right, Chapter 2 is About bees, Chapter 3 is About beekeeping. Chapter 4, About beeswax and Chapter 5 Cooking with honey have many good recipes and tips for making and presenting value added products.

THE BEEHOUSE BOOK

Paul Mann 2010 52 pages £11.95 (€18) M305

If you are planning to build a bee house, this is the book for you, giving plenty of detail about a topic not much covered by other beekeeping texts. As more people seek to keep bees in urban areas, the bee house can be an ideal way to keep bees unobtrusively, and this text provides all the plans and details that are needed.

BfD Web Store

We offer a specialised service providing books, CDs, DVDs and posters focussed on apiculture as practised in developing countries. In addition to these special texts we offer a selection of the latest and best publications on bees, apiculture and related fields. Also at the Bf D web store you can renew your own or donated subscription to BfD Journal, book places on one of our training events or safaris, and purchase goods that support the work of

Bf D Trust. Visit www.beesfordevelopment.org/catalog