The best books about the world of bees (for adults)

Thor Hanson Author Of Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
By Thor Hanson

Who am I?

Author and biologist Thor Hanson’s research activities have taken him around the globe. He has studied Central American trees and songbirds, nest predation in Tanzania, and the grisly feeding habits of African vultures, but bees rank among his favorite subjects of all. He wrote Buzz to explore their fascinating natural and cultural history. No other group of insects has grown so close to us, none is more essential, and none is more revered.

I wrote...

Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees

By Thor Hanson

Book cover of Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees

What is my book about?

Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz, the beloved Thor Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They've given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you'll never overlook them again.

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The Books I Picked & Why

Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World

By Laurence Packer, Sam Droege

Book cover of Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World

Why this book?

There is a rich literature on bees, but I can’t think of a better place to start than the wonderful photography and storytelling found in this beautiful book. Arranged geographically, each page contains close-up images of a particular bee spcies from around the world, alongside a brief description. The authors are both top-notch entomologists, so the text is highly accurate and well written. But it’s the photography that really dazzles, showing off the surprising range of shapes, sizes, and colors that make bees more diverse than all the birds and mammals put together. This book can be read straight through with pleasure, but I also enjoy just opening it up at random for a quick bee blast.

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Bumblebee Economics

By Bernd Heinrich

Book cover of Bumblebee Economics

Why this book?

This book offers a wonderful combination of scientific discovery and homespun natural history. Heinrich later gained fame studying ravens, but he cut his scientific teeth as an entomologist, unraveling the mysteries of how bumblebees budget their energy – as individuals, and as a community. The ideas captured here, and the excitement with which he conveys them, have become models for the study of insect lives.

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The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore

By Hilda M. Ransome

Book cover of The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore

Why this book?

This quirky little title captures a wealth of information about the deep relationship between people and bees. Ransome delves into mythology and folklore from around the world and across a huge span of history. Every page seems to offer some new and unexpected connection or story, from ancient Egyptians ferrying their honeybee hives up and down the River Nile to the Mayans cultivating a rainforest species with the agreeable trait of lacking a sting. No other book gives the reader such an exhaustive and entertaining exploration of how bees, more so than any other insect, have been part of human cultures since the dawn of civilization.

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The Queen Must Die: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men

By William Longgood

Book cover of The Queen Must Die: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men

Why this book?

There are scores of beekeeping memoirs in print, many of them very engaging. But if I had to choose only one, there is something to be said for this little classic. The biological information is good, but the book rises above the average in the way Longwood conveys it - with charm, wit, and an obvious fondness for his chosen subjects. Paired with a modern how-to manual, this volume could convince just about anyone to try their hand with hive, suit, and smoker.

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The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees

By Joseph S. Wilson, Olivia J Messinger Carril

Book cover of The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees

Why this book?

The only thing better than reading about bees is getting outside and seeing some! This book combines good pictures with descriptions of behavior and habitats that will help identify what you find – if not to species, then at least to the major families and groups. Though focused on North America, many of the same general types of bees can be encountered anywhere: sweat bees, miners, diggers, leafcutters, cuckoo bees, and more. In addition to the identification tips, the book includes a generous introduction to bee biology and behavior, as well as a primer on how to improve the bee habitat in any yard through the addition of flowers, nesting sites, and more.

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