These same respondents might advance thoughts on pollination and the contemporary threats to this activity so critical to life on earth; I doubt that many of them would know that the decline in the numbers and diversity of solitary bees, principally brought on by anthropogenic indifference and excess, magnified by polluted landscapes, pesticides and depauperate flora, is the most serious cause of the absence of pollinator bees.
Here is the book to set them right.
This is a magnificent tome authored collaboratively by three leading scientists in the field, and it is done well from the first page to the last. Scholarship is combined with literary competence to furnish a highly readable, eminently elucidating text, accompanied by pictures, charts, and schematic representations of themes and concepts.
It takes the reader through the phylogeny of solitary bees and an examination of the life history of these organisms, where life is short and timing is everything. Mating is an intense activity for solitary bees and males are constantly evolving new strategies to sire offspring. Many will not succeed.
There is a detailed examination of the types of nests used by solitary bees, which are as varied as the bees themselves. Many readers will now be familiar with "bee hotels" which can provide suitable habitat in even a small suburban garden, but some species nest in the soil, in sandstone or even at the edge of active volcanoes.
Once the nest has been established the brood cells have to be provisioned and the three principal sources of food - nectar, pollen and floral oils - and how they are gathered is the subject of two chapters.
Solitary bees obviously do not exist in isolation and must share the landscape with other insects many of which are brood parasites and predators of solitary bees and their nests. It is not easy being a solitary bee!
Chapter 12 presents a thorough review of bee-plant evolution and when and how pollen feeding evolved in the first place.
In Chapter 13 the economic value of bees is examined and the sheer number of fruits and vegetables that depend on solitary bees for pollination is staggering, including apples, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, watermelons, eggplants, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, and that most essential crop of all - coffee! We lose solitary bees at our peril.
Chapter 14 deals with the all too familiar problem of threats to the long term survival of solitary bees. It seems that one can barely discuss any organism today, without examining the threats to its ongoing survival. It is depressing indeed. The threats to solitary bees include the familiar litany of habitat loss, pesticide use, pathogen spillover, loss of genetic diversity, climate change and invasive species. As adaptable as they are to anthropogenic interference in, and modification of, the landscape, there are limits to what can be tolerated, and in many populations that limit has been met and exceeded.
As well as presenting a clear and comprehensive study of every aspect of the lives of solitary bees, the book sounds the alarm bell that time is short to correct the error of our ways. A world without bees is ultimately a world without humans - not a bad thing at all some might say.
The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation
Bryan N. Danforth, Robert L. Minckley and John L. Kneff
Hardcover - $45.00 - 9780691168982 - 488 pages - 17 colour and 113 black-and-white illustrations - 7" (17.5 cm) x 10" (25 cm)
Publication date: 27 August 2019
I am still trying to understand how the birds and the bees work in harmony but i am working on it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am worried about your high intake of coffee and all things sweet, especially muffins. It's time Miriam took you in hand and limited your exposure to such dietary madness. Perhaps less sugaer via honey bees too?
Honey on a hot, toasted, cranberry raisin bagel - with a coffee - now that's heaven!
DeleteI have never seen bees like that, David. They was very pretty. I liked the blue/black very much.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try to attract Mason Bees to my backyard next year, Marit, and will be sure to post pictures.
DeleteQue poco conocemos de todos estos maravillosos seres que de faltar comprometerían la supervivencia humana en gran medida. Se ve un magnífico libro amigo David que todos deberíamos de leer.
ReplyDeleteUn fuerte abrazo querido compadre de tu amigo Juan.
Downright fascinating. Thank you. I knew of solitary bees, but know very little about them (and may have to track this book down).
ReplyDeleteSadly your final sentence is increasingly close to the mark.
A very handy book, it seems.
ReplyDeleteHello David, this also seems a very interesting book to me. And yes the bees are in trouble also here on the continent. Your last sentens is indeed one of the solutions we as a species are too much for this world to be supported. We did get a brain but using it in the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Roos
As a habitat gardener, I've long been fascinated by our native bees, many of them solitary, and by the essential role they play in the ecosystem. This book sounds like it provides a good overview of their importance.
ReplyDeleteFascinating info... heck of a book. Most of the friends I have are familiar with the plight of the bees future but not in the depth you found in this book so I just ordered a copy for
ReplyDeleteour fruit growing friends who have beehives in their orchards.
More and more people are going into "saving the bees" and I am thankful for them.
Bees are such interesting creatures. I have a few hives on my farm and I worry about them, always. Even during their best times, it seems a tenuous effort to help them along in life.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Bee book, lovely.
ReplyDeleteLike the illustrations in the book.
ReplyDeleteThis should be an interesting read, i've had Mason bees using a 'bee hotel' in my garden for the first time this year!
ReplyDeleteExcellent as it appears to be, David, I'm probably not going to be buying the book. However, your review has reminded me that I'd started to make a bee hotel for the garden, but it was abandoned a couple of months ago for reasons that you will be aware of. You have now prompted me to start work on it again and, hopefully, it will be all ready and in situ for next season.
ReplyDeleteUtan tvekan en viktig bok David men hur många, utom de som redan har kunskap läser den? För många år sedan när jag letade på nätet om pollinerare hittade jag en vetenskaplig undersökning från Frankrike som dragit slutsatsen att det är neonicotinoider som misstänks vara en anledning till minskningen av våra bin. Undersökningen hade gömts undan men någon hade hittat den och publicerade materialet. Jag har goda vänner som håller på med bikupor och jag berättade om denna undersökning för dem. De nästan skrattade åt mig - det var då det. Nu vet vi bättre.
ReplyDeleteAlla som håller på med trädgård kunde göra mycket mer för solitära bin, dessa bihotell som blivit så populära saknar betydelse så länge man använder bekämpningsmedel på odlingarna. Fungerar mer som att stilla sitt dåliga samvete. Det är viktigt hur man planerar växtligheten från tidig vår till sen höst för att se till att det finns mat för pollinerarna. Salix är det tidigaste trädet som blommar här och oerhört viktigt för insekterna men inte många gillar att ha ett Salix träd i sin trädgård.
Med stor sorg kan jag konstatera att här numera inte finns många solitära bin, humlor finns det gott om men tyvärr inte bin.
Bra skrivet David!
You are, of course correct, Gunilla, an entire environmental ethic is what is required. The bee hotels are not the answer but I do think they serve a purpose in making people aware of the crisis that exists. Maybe this increased awareness will at some point translate into people voting for politicians who are willing to tackle these issues. Hope is a scarce commodity these days, but we have to have a little!
DeleteAn interesting book David. Bees need support, in every way.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI wish more people were aware about the importance of bees. Since living here close to 30 years now, we have never used pesticides. We are on well water, I would not want it contaminated. There are people out there that care more about what their lawn looks like than the future of our pollinators. I agree we need politicians that care about the environment. Thanks for sharing, have a great day!
Kudos to you for not having used pesticides. And not just on account of your well water, which may be acquiring contaminants from other regions in any event, but for such a stellar statement of environmental principle.
DeleteA beautiful book on bees. They could use all the assistance they can get. Lately, on my walks, I'm noticing bees that are struggling on the ground. I'm not sure what kind they are but it seems that they are dying. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite distressing, Bill. It would be good if you could collect a few and send them to one of your local universities for analysis.
DeleteI'm quite fond of bees (unless, of course, we cross paths in a less than happy way!). I suspect this book is over my head but it sounds like a wonderful reference and well reviewed.
ReplyDeleteUn extraordinario libro para este delicado momento en el que se encuentra esta especie a nivel mundial, sin abejas no hay polinización, sin polinización no hay vida. En España tenemos un problema añadido, la plaga de avispa asiática (Vespa velutina) depredadora de abejas, científicos y apicultores se han unido contra esta especie invasora y buscan un remedio definitivo, de momento la guerra está perdida, muy preocupante. Un fuerte abrazo desde España, todo lo mejor amigo mío.
ReplyDeleteHi David - it sounds a particularly thorough reference - and one that should be in every library, and on any budding scientist's bookshelf ... thanks for alerting us to another excellent Princeton book - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHello my friend David,
ReplyDeleteI like it so much that you also include book reviews in your blog. the nice thing about it is that you can search the book on the internet. With you you also immediately describe what you can find in the book.
It is also important that people know what bees do because we also help them.
Very nice and also valuable that you do this.
Dear greetings, Helma xx
This book is a bit over my head on the subject of bees, but I’m all for them and for all of us taking better care of them. Oh, and we do love our honey. We use it pretty much exclusively as a sweetener and buy local at the farmers market.
ReplyDeleteWe use a lot of honey too and are fortunate to be able to buy directly from a bee keeper whose bees forage on alfalfa and unsprayed wild flowers.
DeleteWhat a wonderful book. I am very aware of the sad plight of bees, but am heartened by the greater numbers that I am now seeing.
ReplyDeleteBees like me, solitary or not. I got stung by them in the street, at the coffee shop, in the garden, you name it. However, I'm not angry at them, I even like them (though I'm not a great lover of honey; maybe they know it, and this is why they're after me:).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for sharing this fascinating book on solitary bees. Great review!
Sounds an interesting book … we do need bees, we must do all we can to help them.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan