Bee Quest

Beautiful thoughtful book.

This third popular bumblebee science book looks at wild bees in their environments, from unpromising brownfield sites to equatorial rain forests. It's written in Dave Goulson's engaging style. As well as the hunts for rare bees, successful and unsuccessful, we're informed on political aspects of conservation in ways to make us rethink the notion that our countryside and its diversity means agriculture. Small changes in food production methods can lead to an increase in diversity alongside improved productivity.

Part travelogue, part natural history, part environmental, total enjoyment. Who knew there were so many kinds of bumble bee, or how important they are to our lives?The author’s enthusiasm for the insects and the environment is infectious - his students, with whom he shares several adventures, have a master teacher. This is a really enjoyable book, instantly absorbing, and one which gets across a serious message in a non-preaching, and highly illustrative way (albeit without images - which is the only reason I didn’t give it five stars). An absolute treat.

When i was a child I found bees very interesting to watch busying about their way in my grandfather's garden. I learned of their ability to create honey - no biggie you might think but, they are amazing creatures. I stop and raise a 'sleeping bee' onto a flowering plant if I see one on a hazardous situation i.e pavements, roads. This book is recommended as an insight as to their importance not least about the honey but their ability via honey to make us well in such things as dressings.

Have read 'Sting in the Tale' and 'A Buzz in the Meadow' already and they are a really interesting and entertaining read.It is seldom that a scientific subject is written in such a way to make it accessible, make you laugh out loud at times and convey a lot of information in a very readable style.Highly recommended.

An eloquent appeal to pay attention to the humble bumble bee, one of the planet's major pollinators. Abused by pesticides and herbicides, ignored by factory farming methods and denied habitat by neglect and ignorance, it is astonishing that the bumble bee survives at all. Full of personal detail that keeps this book continually fascinating.