Plan Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Hardest-Working Creatures on the Planet
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Overtaxed and underrecognized-and now disappearing in alarming numbers-bees are the unsung heroes of the food chain, essential for the pollination of more than ninety of the crops we eat. The hardworking, humble, and matriarchal bee finally gets her due in this engaging and expertly written guide that will appeal to anyone who's ever been curious about the mysterious and always-buzzing world of bees.Beekeeper Susan Brackney explains:why honeybees are disappearing-and what we can do about itwho's who in the hive-the queen bee, the workers, and the dronesbees by the numbers-the number of bees per hive, the number of wing beats per second, and other fascinating factsgardening tips to attract and support honeybeesthe beekeeper's trade-the essential equipment and the latest tools, a day in the life, and morehoney, pollen, wax, royal jelly, mead, and other products of the sweet lifethe secrets behind making a bee beard (or bee bikini) with live bees...and much more.
Introduction: The Birds and the Bees xiPart 1 The Buzz About Bees1 On Being a Bee 3Honeybee Impostors 3The Bee Family Tree 6Oops... 92 Who's Who in the Hive 13Girl Power 13The Lazy, Yawning Drones 21Cue the Barry White 23Honeybee Destinies 26They Are What They Eat 273 The Bee's Knees (and Other Bee Parts) 32Bees by the Numbers 32Just a Teaspoon for Me, Please... 35What Honey Is and Is Not 35Waxing Philosophical 36What Makes a Bee a Bee 40The Head 41The Thorax 44The Stickiest Stuff on Earth 45The Abdomen 46Gland Central Station 48The Sting 48Dang It! 524 Bees and the Bigger Picture 55Bee Souls, Legends, and Lore 55The Letters Bee 62Bee Movies, Bee Beards, and Bee-kinis 645 Honeybee Perils 69Why Bees Matter 69Pests and Pestilence 71Small but Mite-y 72Stressed-Out Bees 74The Biggest Threat Yet 75Part 2 A Beekeeper's Life6 A (Brief) History of Beekeeping 81Death and Taxes 82Other Early Beekeepers 86America's Honeybee Patriots 88Putting the "Bee" in B-52 957 Got Bees? 98Building a Better Bee 101A Beekeeper's Honey-Do List 104Bees in the Trees 107If You See a Swarm 110To Bee or Not to Bee 1108 Pleasing the Bees 117Other Guests You'll Meet 120Water, Water, Everywhere 128The Honeybee Calendar 1309 The Sweet Life 133Honey Extraction 101 136More Tools of the Trade 137Tortured Honey Versus Tasty Honey 138"Mad" Honey 141Honey and the "Halo Effect" 143Caveat Emptor 145Yummy Honey Recipes 146Minding Your Beeswax 150Other Bee Goods 164For the Good of Bees 167Final Note 171Who Needs Chickens Anyway? 171Afterword 174Further Reading and Resources 177Permissions 179Index 181
