Book Review

"Sweetness and Light", "Bees in America", "Increase Essentials"

These three titles were my "homework" over vacation.

"Sweetness and Light" and "Bees in America" - generally follow the movement of bees from the time of colonization. The American habitat suited the spread of bees. America was covered with FOREST with OLD hollowed out trees. Bees that escaped from domestic hives easily found new homes. Interestingly, both books mention that the swarms of bees were harbingers to the Native Americans that "whiteman is coming". Evolution of beekeeping practices and new understanding/science of the bee is presented in both books. Unfortunately, you can also see the history of continual loss of bee habitat from the beginning. (Mankind cuts down the OLD trees/forest for his home, for his warmth and for his fields.) Another tidbit that I found interesting was the impact of war on bees - as hives were abandoned by their keepers (men marched off) and RATIONS! Some commercial keepers lost hives because they could not convince the government to give them extra rations for SUGAR to feed their bees. You can also appreciate the ongoing "struggle" between the popularity of sugar vs. honey in the household.

"Increase Essentials" - the title says it all. Again, the beginning of the book starts with a timeline analysis of continual LOSS of bee habitat (suburbia moves onto the pastureland, farmers plant crops that do nothing for bees - corn, soybeans, wheat, and urban areas BAN bees from their borders) and the LOSS OF BEEKEEPERS. The conclusion to this beginning chapter is that: BACKYARD/HOBBY BEEKEEPERS ARE VITAL to re-establish bee population & strength. This book has some interesting ideas and INSTRUCTION regarding ways to SPLIT hives, create NUCS, make queens....and OVERWINTERING nucs/weak colonies - so that you're ready to GO in the spring.