Bees: Nature's Little Wonders (David Suzuki Foundation Series)

The bee may have a brain the size of a grass seed, but in its brief, five-week life it works as a brood nurse, wax producer, comb builder, honey maker, home guard, and floral forager. Bees: Nature's Little Wonders invites readers to take a new look at creatures that are both familiar and wondrously odd. It considers the diversity and biology of bees, including their peculiar sociosexual arrangements (pity the poor drone), their quirky relationships with flowers, and their startling mental abilities: What are we to make of insects that communicate through symbolic dances? The book also addresses the mysterious syndrome known as colony collapse disorder and identifies opportunities for the conservation of pollinators. Enriched with cultural sidebars and complemented by a stunning collection of images, Bees is a must-read for conservationists, gardeners, and anyone intrigued by the natural world.

Candace Savage is the author of numerous internationally acclaimed books on subjects ranging from natural history and science to popular culture. She is the author of the best-selling natural history titles Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays and Prairie: A Natural History, for which she won two Saskatchewan Book Awards and a Gold Medal from ForeWord Magazine in 2004. She lives in Saskatchewan.

Introduction: Little Things

Chapter 1: Bees of the World

Chapter 2: Bees at Home

Chapter 3: Bees of the Field

Chapter 4: Life Lessons

Acknowledgments

Notes

Selected Resources

Picture Credits

Index