The Shelf Got Odder

If you remember this post about my not-at-all-secret obsession with bees and bee literature, you won’t be surprised to learn that my collection of books on the subject has gotten larger.yellowI’m most fond of The Bees of the World by Charles D. Michener and of California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists. The first is much more technical and dense as Michener is a taxonomist. The California book is hot off the presses and more like a carry-along field guide.  Both highly recommended by this amateur melittologist.

Bee Notes

If you want to get your citizen-scientist groove on, the Backyard Bee Count of the Great Sunflower Project is in full swing once again.  Count the bees that visit a particular flower in your yard or elsewhere for a 15 minute period and report the results to the Project.  Learn more here.

In sad bee news, the wild honeybee hive pictured at the end of the Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine has been blocked up.  It was truly burgeoning and I hope the bees survived.