Subject: NBB newsletter of month 04,95

From: [email-masked] (Hugo Veerkamp)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 22:31:12 GMT

hi all,

This monthly newsletter is published simultaneously in BEENET,
in sci.agiculture.beekeeping newsgroup and in BEE-L.
H.V.

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                 Northern Bee books Newsletter
        BeeBooks Digest--Apicultural Publications and Issues
                 Volume 1, Number 2, april 1995
       (c) H.Veerkamp & J.Burbidge. " all rights reserved"
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                            INTRODUCTION

Yet another beekeeping newsletter on the web...the more, the merrier, I'd
say.
This newsletter is an attempt at making information on newly appearing
beebooks as well as on those 'golden oldies', available to the beekeeping
community. Our main source of info will be at Northern bee books UK,
but input( related to beebooks) from others is hereby cordially invited.

                                         Hugo Veerkamp, Amsterdam, Holland
                                         editor, NBB newsletter

                     OTHER APIARY CREATURES

 There is a series of naturalists' handbooks which are written and
illustrated
with great accuracy and are unbeatable value for making possible the easy and
positive identification of some other common flying insects. Northern Bee
Books
stocks three: Solitary Wasps  (Yeo and Corbet), Bumblebees (Prys-Jones and
Corbet) and Dragonflies  (Miller). They are ideal for presents for beekeepers
and others and will give pleasure for years.
                                Yeo and Corbet: Solitary Wasps
                         Prys-Jones and Corbet: Bumblebees
                                        Miller: Dragonflies

                             SOCIAL WASPS

At the other end of the price scale is Social Wasps by Robin Edwards, from
the Rentokil Library. It's a hefty #31 but good value because of the
continuing
interest it engenders in these beautiful, useful, intelligent and gentle
insects, close relatives of our bees which get so much unjustified bad
publicity. Social wasps can be a problem in the apiary at some times,
knowledge of their life cycle and habits will enable beekeepers to counter
their unwanted attentions effectively and humanely.

                                 Robin Edwards: Social Wasps

                             VARROA BOOKS

The creature none of us wants but all will have in our apiaries is Varroa
jacobsoni. There will be much more written about the parasite as more is
revealed through research and experience, presently you can't do better than
read The New Varroa Handbook  (Mobus & de Bruyn) or Varroa Mesh Floors 
(P.A.M.)

                              Mobus & de Bruyn: The New Varroa Handbook
                                        P.A.M.: Varroa Mesh Floors

                            A TRUE REFERENCE

The most gasped-at price is attached to Bees and Beekeeping, the ordinary
sounding title of an extraordinarily comprehensive book. Dr Eva Crane, an
international legend for many years, produced this huge book What's in it?
Everything you can think of about the science and practice of beekeeping
known
to date. A true reference book with extensive indices and bibliography.
Everyone who is serious about wanting to know about bees and beekeeping
should
have one.
                                  Dr Eva Crane: Bees and Beekeeping

                            BEEKEEPING POETRY

A nice little hardback by Amoret Scott which will not improve your beekeeping
in any way - except perhaps to make you muse on your love of bees.
'A Murmur of bees' is an anthology of poetry, prose and doggerel about bees
and beekeeping which ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous.
It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a good selection of the best in the
field, with a few gems.
                                  Amoret Scott: A Murmur of bees

                           THE BEE BOOK BOOK

In 1991 Northern Bee Books published 'The Bee Book Book', by Geoffrey Lawes.
This is for serious bibliophiles or browsers, something you could live
without
but wouldn't want to once you have it. You may not think that you want to
know
anything about bee books which you don't already know but this little red
book
has a seductive quality which keeps drawing one back to its pages. It covers
history, collecting, restoration and too much more to list here.

                                Geoffrey Lawes: The Bee Book Book

                            POLLEN LOADS

Pollen, a vital protein for bee brood.  To get the best from it and thence
for
ourbees it will be beneficial to learn more about local supplies.
Dorothy Hodges will be remembered for her study of 'The Pollen Loads of the
Honey Bee', the first edition of which had hand painted panels of perfectly
matched colours. A recent edition this classical work is available.
Rex Sawyer also made his name in the field of pollen identification in
honeys, thereby proving or disproving alleged sources in court. 'Pollen
Identification for Beekeepers' is also difficult to find but its companion
volume, 'Honey Identification', is out of print.
The newest book on the pollen scene is also a colour chart of pollens
'A colour guide to pollen loads of the honey bee', not to be confused
with Hodges despite its similar title. William Kirk's work shows
pollen colours of 268 German and British plants with text in English,
French and German.
Kirk gives much credit to Hodges in his explanatory notes and there is a
useful paragraph for students about measuring relative pollen grain sizes,
an important part of the identification.It is Spiral bound to lie flat.

                                Dorothy Hodges: The Pollen Loads of the
                                                 Honey Bee
                                  William Kirk: A colour guide to pollen
                                                 loads of the honey bee
                                    Rex Sawyer: Pollen Identification
                                                 for Beekeepers
                                    Rex Sawyer: Honey Identification
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for further inquiries about books reviewed or book catalog, please send
E-mail
   to: Jeremy Burbidge at [email-masked]
or to: Hugo Veerkamp at [email-masked]
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 * Origin: zzz the BEE bbs Amsterdam Holland +31 20.6764105 zzz (240:31/0)