Heart of the Hive

Greatly enjoyed this book. I was laughing aloud and sharing new bee facts with my spouse left and right. Murder balls? Banana-scented alert pheromones? The gruesome fate of drones after mating? I can see a new Netflix series entitled Game of Drones forming, heh heh.

The pictures were stunning and fascinating. The awe and enthusiasm for the subject of bees was infectious and I enjoyed the lovely mix of both the factual and the mysteriously reverent. The choice of and presentation of sections added whimsy and interest to the book as a whole.

Overall, a great read that took me back to the pleasures of exploration of the natural world in book form. I've been stung twice (once accidental, once with a childish not-recommended-in-retrospect idea to catch a bee) and I feel that both experiences have been zoomed out to a wider context and with a deeper respect for these incredible critters.

Thank you for the ARC!

This book is absolutely fascinating! Whether you have a love or a fear of honey bees, this book will help you gain respect for the incredible roles bees play, not only in our environment, but in their own hive. The organizational skills and proficiency with which bees work, is a tiny societal miracle in the insect world. This book is a definite read not only to educate yourself on the various tasks assigned to each type of bee, but to help you understand these little architects in their hive construction and maintenance, to the care of the queen and her young, and their foraging behaviors. I highly recommend this book!