First published in 2013 by Conari Press, an imprint of
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at:
665 Third Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94107
Copyright © 2013 by Jack Mingo
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Mingo, Jack, 1952–
Bees make the best pets : all the buzz about being resilient, collaborative, industrious, generous, and sweet—straight from the hive / Jack Mingo.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-57324-625-5
1. Bees. 2. Bees—Popular works. 3. Bees—Behavior. I. Title.
QL56.M56 2013
595.79′9–dc23
2013021999
Cover design by Jim Warner
Cover photograph © Photosearch.com
Interior by Dutton & Sherman
Printed in the United States of America
VG
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1992 (R1997).
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Dedicated to Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth (1810–1895), whose revolutionary hive helped make modern beekeeping possible.
Contents
Deconstructing Bee Construction
How Great Thou Art, Reverend Langstroth!
Honey from Mars! The Mars Candy Co., That Is
Even Bugs Get Bugged by Other Bugs
Bees Are a Bad Role Model for Communities
Uncooked Honey, Raw, Raw, Raw!
Clipped Wings and Prisoner Bees
Stationary Flying Is Very Cool