The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism

I've been a beekeeper for just a few years, and have accumulated a library of "how to" beekeeping books, most of which have been reasonably informative about certain aspects of bee behavior, anatomy, etc. But I really wanted more detailed, in-depth information about the bees themselves: how they operate as a super-organism, how they communicate, how they build that amazing comb, and WHY (to the degree that we actually know) they do the things they do. I like Tom Seeley's "Honeybee Democracy", which describes the methods by which bees communicate when selecting a new home site, but it made me eager to know much more about other aspects of bee life. This book does just that - clear explanations of what we know (and don't know) about bees, and absolutely gorgeous photographs to illustrate aspects of bee biology and behavior. It's fascinating to read. Don't buy this book if you are looking for rote beekeeping advice (we all need that at times, too!), but if you want to understand principles of bee biology that will help you appreciate the miracle of bee life, and to work with them in a way that accommodates their inherent brilliant strategies for survival, this is the best one I've found. Dont be fooled by the lighthearted title - there is a ton of really good, objectively observed information in this volume, and while it is reasonably accessible to the scientifically-curious lay reader, it is not superficial. Highly recommended!

I was motivated to read this book because I am a new beekeeper. That said, this was not by any means the first book I read -- I started reading about beekeeping two years ago, and about "bees" as a science topic only a few months ago. From that perspective, this book is terrific -- a wonderfully rich, even provocative read that is as much about the "superorganism" concept as it is about bees, a candidate superorganism. I truly appreciate the depth this book has given my understanding of bees -- they are even more interesting and amazing to me now.I teach science prose for a living, so I read a lot of science; I was glad for this when reading this book. Before selecting this book, I'd recommend reading Thomas Seeley's "Honeybee Democracy" which also takes the superorganism perspective but is a bit easier in terms of vocabulary. There is no doubt that The Buzz about Bees is a science text despite the inviting title. The pictures were a true delight, and Tautz states in the preface that his intention was to create a book that was as much about great, illustrative photos as it is about the biology of a bee colony. His hypothesis is also crystal clear: the superorganism is an alternative adaptive strategy given natural selection in evolutionary theory wherein the individual members of a species cooperate in a highly social system. It's a fascinating book, and I also appreciated that Tautz does not anthropomorphize bee colony behavior -- he leaves us to be amazed by an evolutionary strategy quite different from our own.

The English-language translation is, unfortunately, disappointing. Where you or I would write that young bees "emerge from their cells", Tautz (in English) writes that they "hatch": "New drones become sexually mature about a week after hatching" ["schlüpfen" in the original]. This example is likely a translation mistake, as other references to "hatching" correctly refer to the hatching of the larva from the egg and not the emergence of the adult bee.In another example, where one might write "there is something almost mystical about drone congregations)", Tautz (in English) writes "drone assemblies... are almost mystical". Yes, you know what he means and it is a small difference, but the missteps, awkward constructions ("the concentration of the queenly perfume"), and unnecessary repetitions (see example below) really slow down one's reading and diminish the reading pleasure.One last example. Tautz (in English) writes: "Replacement queen cells are unlike those used for normal rearing, in that they do not hang along the edge of the comb, but are constructed in the middle of it. Replacement queen cells are produced by extending the walls of a normal-sized comb cell."This is fully understandable. but why force the reader to slog through charmless phrases such as "replacement queen cells" twice in a row? Why not: "Unlike queen cells used for normal rearing, which are found along the edge of the comb, replacement queen cells are constructed in the middle of the comb and are produced by extending the walls of a normal-sized comb cell."This is not to take away from the pleasures of the detailed and interesting knowledge the author imparts, nor the many excellent color photographs, but merely to lament a missed opportunity to do justice in the English language to the fine work of this respected researcher and author.

This is an amazing book about the whole system of bees. This is not the usual beekeeping book that tells you how to setup a hive and pull honey etc. However, every beekeeper should read this book to learn about everything the bees 'do' (actually, twice the knowledge you need). The book is also a good intro to sociobiology and other scientific/philosophical/thought-provoking matters that the bees can teach us. Very well written and very readable. Lots of photographs that very clearly and boldly demonstrate the text.

a must for the Apiarist's library

Yep that was a good book to anyone wishing to further their bee knowledge.I expected even more details about bees biology but then it takes several books to really get to know any subject.... and repetition of information for it to sink in.I recommend that book.

Having read a few bee books and found them a bit vague and not to the point, this book has been great

This is the absolute best book about the biology of the honeybees, fascinating to read even if you know nothing about bees, incredibly helpful if you deal with theses extraordinary insects

I have been a beekeeper for fourty years and this is the best bee book I have read, it is not a "how to do it " book but an in depth look at the life of the bee and an insight to hive life,