Saturday, October 05, 2024

Book Review - The Honey Trap: How the Good Intentions of Urban Beekepers Risk Ecological Disaster - Sutherland House


      Dana Church has written a fine book dealing with the well-intentioned but intellectually naive wishes of people concerned with environmental apocalypse, to do their bit in remediating the environment. If in the process a little honey should result, then so much the better!
      After all what could be more noble than helping to restore balance in the biosphere? Except that most of the time people have a less than complete understanding of the biosphere and unwittingly do more harm than good. Paying attention to alarmist headlines in the popular press always trumps taking the time to research an issue, enabling one to act based on evidence not on emotion. 
     Church presents an extensive and informative history of bee cultivation by humans. It should not be overlooked for a moment that commercial honey bees are domestic animals, much as cows and sheep, and have been finely tuned to serve the needs of humans with little regard to their impact on native bees and the environment writ large. She is well equipped by training and education to deliver the wisdom of science, yet she writes in such a colloquial, flowing manner that you feel you are talking to a friend - a good friend, mind you, a person whose views you respect, someone you listen to.
     It is probably safe to assert that very few beekeepers take the time to understand the impact their colonies have on the ecosystem in which they locate their hives. What is their impact on local wild bees? Is there enough food for wild bees (and other insects) and the occupants of the introduced hives? Are species like solitary bees, sweat bees, bumble bees and others deprived of the nectar from a specific host plant on which they feed exclusively? The measure of success for the beekeeper is the volume of honey produced, with little concern for the impact on the entire trophic network. Even where honey bees are transported long distances to pollinate crops it can be proven that in many cases wild bees could do the job better - at no cost. The role of wild bees is seriously under-rated. The physical damage that commercial honey bees can inflict on plants is barely acknowledged, let alone accounted for.
     Church tackles head on the contentious issue of "bee washing", where companies bent on commercial success, where profit is their motive, rent hives to people, taking care of them for a fee, and lulling their customers into falsely believing that they are on the way to environmental sainthood. No thought is ever given to how many hives a given area can support; more is always better for the bottom line.
     A census that reveals a large number of bees simply means that introduced honey bees are doing well, but native species may be in simultaneous catastrophic decline, with untold and unknown consequences for the ecosystem. In some instances introduced bees damage crops and swamp native species. More is not always better.
     No ornithologist in her right mind would flood an area with House Sparrows and European Starlings and claim, after native species had been displaced or eliminated, that the environment was better because there are more birds. Yet this is precisely the argument advanced in the case of bees.
     Everyone who owns a hive or is contemplating acquiring a hive, everyone who is a client of a bee rental service, everyone who wants to know the real truth should get a copy of this book. It is critical reading.
     If I had one minor quibble it would be that there are no illustrations at all. They would have been very useful in elucidating the text. Their absence may reflect budgetary constraints, but it's a pity that not a single picture is provided.
      My summary: It is a book for its time, well written, stimulating, thought-provoking and it offers a way forward. Dana Church is to be congratulated for a job very well done.


The Honey Trap: How the Good Intentions of Urban Beekeepers Risk Ecological Disaster - Sutherland House
Dana L. Church
Paperback - 189 pages - ISBN: 9781990823855
$23.95 USD/$25.95 CAD
Publication date: September, 2024


David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

43 comments:

  1. I've read about this problem before (probably in an earlier review of this book) and I find it amazing that this seemingly obvious tinkering with nature has been ignore, that so little attention has been paid. I enjoyed your review, and I'm very tempted to read the book itself.
    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  2. ...the natural balance is mighty complex.

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  3. Thanks David, your writing is really good.

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  4. I am interested in this book as I think I have noticed that beekeepers in Italy always take the environment for granted.

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  5. Hari OM
    A matter that was being discussed on a recent podcast I was listening to. As you say, timely... YAM xx

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  6. This is all so true, and not well understood. Beginners also don't always grasp how large a radius their bees forage in. One of my friends gave up after two seasons because her bees died from insecticide sprayed on crops, none nearer than several miles away. She'd assumed there was plenty of unsprayed territory for them on her own acreage.

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    1. Yes, Western Honey Bees forage at a far great distance than native species.

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  7. Nice review David. I have a neighbour who have honey bees. Many of them comes in my garden. I'm very happy to see them here. Hugs and kisses, Marit

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  8. That is a very interesting topic, one I sure never thought about. We kept bees off and on for years, just 3 hives though, and no other hives nearby. Some of our last bees swarmed and we still see them around. I suppose they found a good tree to live in. I am pretty sure these bees are from our hives as they were Russian bees and have a distinctive look.

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    1. I am not sure what species “Russian” bees would be, but safe to say that they were not native. Not necessarily destructive but certainly not native.

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  9. This sounds like a book that is useful in illuminating how humans may often be destructive of the natural environment even when they are trying to be "helpful." Not that we didn't already know that, of course, but the evidence continues to mount.

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  10. This sounds like a wonderful book. I appreciate your review, David.

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  11. Últimamente , hay mucha información sobre esto. Se ha agredido mucho al medio ambiente y hay que buscar soluciones urgentes.
    Feliz domingo de descanso.

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  12. This is such a thoughtful and insightful review of Dana Church's book! I love how you point out the balance between well-intentioned actions and the unintended consequences of not fully understanding the complexities of nature. It's a reminder that environmental activism should be backed by research and awareness, not just emotion. Plus, the way Church blends science with a conversational tone sounds like a perfect way to engage readers without overwhelming them.

    Wishing you a fantastic weekend! I'd love for you to check out my new post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/10/my-visit-to-hunterian-art-gallery-in.html

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  13. It certainly sounds very interesting. Too many people take our world for granted I think and too many don't care of it. If it continues, I really don't give our Pale Blue Dot much time.

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    1. The Blue Dot will survive, but with a greatly impoverished flora and fauna and without humans, I fear.

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  14. Thank you. I have wondered about the impact of introduced bees (our introductions so rarely work well) but have never explored further. And now, thanks to you I have an easy reference source to turn to.

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  15. Wow, this subject is one that I need to know more about. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

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  16. Que tal, David! i didn't know anything about this topic. It's amazing how human actions, even with the best of intentions, can have harmful consequences when we don't fully understand..

    Thanks for suggesting the book,
    have a nice nite

    Gros bisous.

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  17. Be a good read. We had bumble bees introduced in 1992 much to the disgust of many.

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    1. It’s difficult to understand that in 1992, given all that we knew of other misguided introductions, we were still doing it. You will forgive me for noting that Australia seems particularly boneheaded in this matter - think only of camels, rabbits, foxes, cane toads…….

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  18. Interesting review David.
    Well written.
    I wish you a nice Sunday.
    Greetings Irma

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  19. Hi David - excellent to see Dana Church's educational book on bees and their lives ... we do seem to be on the slippery slope of not helping ourselves, let alone life around us. We had a bee keeper come and talk to us ... she started it after moving into a new home on retirement and find bee-hives not in use ... extraordinarily interesting ... thank you - cheers Hilary

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  20. Always good to inform...
    Have a nice week !
    Anna

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    1. And then to listen, to understand and take action.

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  21. Hello,
    Great review and book David! We do need to keep the bees alive and happy. They are welcome in my garden, which is free of pesticides and poisons. Have a great day and happy week ahead.

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    1. That’s great, Eileen. I hope that many native species find safe haven with you.

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  22. Oh thank you David. What you say is very interesting.

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  23. It is interesting to analyze wild bees versus bees taken with the hive in various locations and the effects on the environment.

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  24. David, I saw a film where people put beehives on the roof of a high-rise building, added plants and flowers to the roof and told how great it is to have your own honey in the city. I didn't know that this worsens the ecology in the city.

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    1. As the subtitle of the book says, Nadezda, “Good intentions…” The plants and flowers could be added without the hives.

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  25. Interesting review David, and the natural balance is mighty complex and often we don´t have a clue. You do an enormes job to write about these books (and thingsas well).

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  26. What an interesting write up and information. Natural animals and insects should do the job perfectly, introduction usually ends up as a calamity. Pity there are no photos as I feel like you they would make a big difference to a book of this kind. Bisous mon ami, bonne semaine, Diane

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  27. What an interesting sounding book. It is not something I had ever considered in relation to bee keeping but it is an argument that makes so much sense. We have considered keeping bees but were always concerned about the hive making it through the winter. I remember chatting to a couple who were natural bee keepers, I think there is an organisation here in the UK that supports people who wish to consider that but I have not looked into their work.

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  28. I’m so glad someone wrote a book about this! I’ve been wondering about it ever since I heard that our honeybees are not native. There is a movement to go back to native plants, and we need to consider helping our native insects.

    I don’t see nearly as many insects as I did when I was young, except for gnats. Humans have poisoned so many of them, and have modified their environment. Well, perhaps it won’t matter because the climate seems determined to do us in.

    Thank you for writing about this book.

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  29. Oddly enough I was wondering about that earlier this year when I saw a number of hives positioned alongside an oil-seed rape (canola) field. So now I know.

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  30. Another fascinating and very important book. Thank you David, this is now on my reading list.

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  31. Interesting. And brings up points I hadn't thought of.

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  32. Otro libro especial para mí. Besos.

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  33. Years ago I played with the idea of keeping bees in our backyard. I quickly put it in the bin because I don't even like honey. The native plants in my habitat garden do the job (at least I hope so; I have noticed a good number of different kinds of bees). This book seems to me to be of great importance because far too many of us want to do some good and actually do the opposite.

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