June 5, 2019

Bee books

I am avoiding getting serious about studying insects in general. Not because it isn't interesting, but because I see that it could easily become and all consuming interest. But I am letting myself get somewhat serious about studying spiders (which aren't insects of course) and thought that studying bees would also be something I would allow myself.

I ran into a nice woman who was doing research on bees and asked her for recommendations on books about bees.
The following books are what she recommended. 

-Field Guide to the Common Bees of California by Gretchen LeBuhn and Noel Badges Pugh
Although I've been told there are some errors with this guide, I have not encountered them personally and find it to be a generally useful guide.
Most of California's bees are also here in Arizona.
It's also beautifully illustrated, and emphasizes the key points in bee identification.

-The Bees in Your Backyard by Joseph Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril
Great guide, gorgeous photos, clearly presented and accurate

-Our Native Bees by Paige Embry
This book is written in a narrative style that hits on all the important points of bee biology. It basically says everything I wish I could tell people about bees, and presents it in a clear and entertaining way.

-The Solitary Bees by John Neff, Bryan Danforth, and Robert Minckley
This one is brand new and goes deep into solitary bee biology. Great details on all the groups of solitary bees. If you want to really get to know the bees, this is the one to use!
I also asked about how to find bees, and the suggestion was simply to watch the flowers. A lot of the bees will be honeybees of course, but the others will show up.
Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Insect pages / tom@mmto.org