Dancing With Bees

A Journey Back to Nature

“A triumph of science writing, a well crafted, deeply researched story of politics, ethics, and the fascinating lives of humans and bees.” —Jonathan Eig, New York Times–bestselling author We think of bees as being among the busiest workers in the garden, admiring them for their productivity. But amid their buzzing, they are also great communicators—and unusual dancers. As Karl von Frisch (1886–1982) discovered during World War II, bees communicate the location of food sources to each other through complex circle and waggle dances. As Tania Munz shows in this exploration of von Frisch’s life and research, this important discovery came amid the tense circumstances of the Third Reich. The Dancing Bees draws on previously unexplored archival sources in order to reveal von Frisch’s full story, including how the Nazi government in 1940 determined that he was one-quarter Jewish, revoked his teaching privileges, and sought to prevent him from working altogether until circumstances intervened. In the 1940s, bee populations throughout Europe were facing the devastating effects of a plague (just as they are today), and because the bees were essential to the pollination of crops, von Frisch’s research was deemed critical to maintaining the food supply of a nation at war. The bees, as von Frisch put it years later, saved his life. Munz not only explores von Frisch’s complicated career in the Third Reich, she looks closely at the legacy of his work and the later debates about the significance of the bee language and the science of animal communication. “Will surely become a classic in the literature on the history of biology in the twentieth century.” —Thomas D. Seeley, author of Honeybee Democracy

Did You Know That Bees Make A Real Song And Dance Over Honey? And Delicate Butterflies Can Frighten Fearsome Birds? Superbly Comic Pictures Exaggerate Funny But True Facts About The Mad, Mad World Of Creepy Crawlies.

In Bee Dance, follow a foraging honeybee as she searches for food and returns to the hive to share the news in a honeybee dance! A honeybee searches for nectar, then returns to the hive to tell the other bees. She does a waggle dance, moving in a special figure-eight pattern to share the location of the foodsource with her hivemates. With vivid and active images, Rick Chrustowski brings these amazing bees to life!

“Fiction lovers who come to this book with an open mind will find themselves challenged and entertained by a brilliant writer with a very fertile imagination.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "When he turns to prose, this Pulitzer Prize-winning poet exhibits a surprisingly uncomplicated style."—Details James Tate seems both awed and bemused by small-town life in these forty-four stories full of legends, flights of fancy, tragedies, and small ruptures in ordinary existence. His narrators speak in an idiom that is odd and completely American. James Tate is the author of fourteen books of poetry and the recipient of numerous awards: fellowships from the NEA and Guggenheim foundations, the National Book Award, and the Pulitzer Prize.

Honeybees make decisions collectively--and democratically. Every year, faced with the life-or-death problem of choosing and traveling to a new home, honeybees stake everything on a process that includes collective fact-finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building. In fact, as world-renowned animal behaviorist Thomas Seeley reveals, these incredible insects have much to teach us when it comes to collective wisdom and effective decision making. A remarkable and richly illustrated account of scientific discovery, Honeybee Democracy brings together, for the first time, decades of Seeley's pioneering research to tell the amazing story of house hunting and democratic debate among the honeybees. In the late spring and early summer, as a bee colony becomes overcrowded, a third of the hive stays behind and rears a new queen, while a swarm of thousands departs with the old queen to produce a daughter colony. Seeley describes how these bees evaluate potential nest sites, advertise their discoveries to one another, engage in open deliberation, choose a final site, and navigate together--as a swirling cloud of bees--to their new home. Seeley investigates how evolution has honed the decision-making methods of honeybees over millions of years, and he considers similarities between the ways that bee swarms and primate brains process information. He concludes that what works well for bees can also work well for people: any decision-making group should consist of individuals with shared interests and mutual respect, a leader's influence should be minimized, debate should be relied upon, diverse solutions should be sought, and the majority should be counted on for a dependable resolution. An impressive exploration of animal behavior, Honeybee Democracy shows that decision-making groups, whether honeybee or human, can be smarter than even the smartest individuals in them.

A comprehensive introduction to making candles, home and body products life from the author of Beeswax Alchemy. Beehive Alchemy is a continuation of Petra Ahnert’s bestselling Beeswax Alchemy. With this new book, beekeepers (and bee lovers) will learn about the benefits and attributes of beeswax, honey, propolis, and more alongside a full range of projects and techniques to process and harness the amazing gifts of bees. Inside, you’ll find instructions to make Ahnert’s award-winning hand-dipped birthday candles, the classic French dessert canele bordelais, and much more, including: Alchemy for the Body Liquid soap with honey Beard balm Olive and honey lotion Alchemy of Light Taper candles Tea lights Pillars Alchemy for the Home Furniture polish Waxed cotton food wraps Woodcutter incense Alchemy in the Studio Beeswax crayons Encaustic Batik Alchemy in the Kitchen Cookies and candies Beverages Fermentations Whether you keep bees or just love them, Beehive Alchemy will become your go-to comprehensive guide for hive-to-home creations. Praise for Beeswax Alchemy: “An excellent introduction and solid technique instruction to make candles, lotions, and soaps with beeswax. . . . The true strength of this book is its instructions for making homemade body products. While similar in coverage to Leeann Coleman and Jayne Barnes’s Honey Crafting, Ahnert’s book provides better body products and more detailed technical instruction. Strongly recommended.” —Library Journal “This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Excellent instructions. Bountiful information. Beautifully done.” —Kim Flottum, author of The Backyard Beekeeper and editor of Bee Culture magazine