An incomparable illustrated look at the critical role bees play in the life of our planet Bees pollinate more than 130 fruit, vegetable, and seed crops that we rely on to survive. Bees are also crucial to the reproduction and diversity of flowering plants, and the economic contributions of these irreplaceable insects measure in the tens of billions of dollars each year. Yet bees are dying at an alarming rate, threatening food supplies and ecosystems around the world. In this richly illustrated natural history of the bee, which includes more than 250 color photographs and illustrations, Noah Wilson-Rich and his team of bee experts provide a window into the vitally important role that bees play in the life of our planet. Earth is home to more than 20,000 bee species, from fluorescent-colored orchid bees and sweat bees to flower-nesting squash bees and leaf-cutter bees. This book provides an unmatched account of this astounding diversity, blending an engaging narrative with practical, hands-on discussions of such topics as beekeeping and bee health. It explores our relationship with the bee over evolutionary time, examining how it originated and where it stands today―and what the future holds for humanity and bees alike. Provides an accessible, richly illustrated look at the human–bee relationship over time - Features a section on beekeeping and handy guides to identifying, treating, and preventing honey bee diseases - Covers bee evolution, ecology, genetics, and physiology - Includes a directory of notable bee s - Presents a holistic approach to bee health, including organic and integrated pest management techniques - Shows how you can help bee populations "Honorable Mention for the 2015 National Outdoor Book Awards, Nature and the Environment, NOBA Foundation" "The natural history of solitary, bumble, honey and stingless bees is as gripping as our lengthy alliance, as urban beekeeper Noah Wilson-Rich and contributors show in this charming compilation. They cover evolution, biology (including a unique proboscis made of two organs), behaviours (such as honey bee 'quacking'), the causes of catastrophic die-offs, and more." ---Barbara Kiser, Nature "You don't have to be a scientist or even a beekeeper to understand the material or to grasp the importance of bees to our way of life. The author's passion for his subject is obvious without being weighty, the diagrams are on point, and the photographs are a joy. . . . The Bee: A Natural History illustrates the entire story in a quick but fascinating portrait. Be sure to put this one on your wish list." ---Rusty Burlew, Honey Bee Suite "A well-illustrated introduction to the biology of bees." ---Ian Paulsen, Birdbooker Report "A comprehensive guide to the bee and covers every topic imaginable, including bee evolution, behaviour, beekeeping, anatomy and reproduction. Each section in the book is filled with stunning, detailed photography that compliments the informative accompanying text. . . . You could spend hours simply perusing the pictures in this book and finding something new every time. The Bee: A Natural History is a perfect coffee-table book, but offers so much more than pretty pictures. The author is clearly an expert in his field and the chapters go into quite a lot of depth, without alienating the reader. It strikes an appropriate balance between appearance and content." ― Bookbag "This book is a valuable addition the bookshelves of anyone with an interest and love of the bee." ---Sue Closs, Welsh Beekeeper "By contrasting the biologies and behaviours of some of the solitary bees, stingless bees, masons, carpenters and bumbles, the author presents an interesting and readable handbook on this insect icon and its wild relatives." ---Richard Jones, BBC Wildlife "While most people are familiar with the European honeybees that populate commercial hives, the rest of world of bees is probably less known. The Bee, A Natural History by Noah Wilson-Rich sets out to fill you in on the rest of the story. . . . If you'd like to get to know your neighborhood bees better, this book is a good place to start." ---Tom Palmer, Lakeland Ledger "A compendium of knowledge on the 20,000 or so bee species in the world and the state of humans' relationship with them throughout history. It's fertile soil for any bee inquiry you want to make." ---Susan Clotfelter, Denver Post "Because humans have observed and cultivated social bees for millennia . . . we know enough about those little creatures to fill many books. Open to any page of this one and you will get a short, sweet primer on some aspect of bee biology, behavior, husbandry, or ecology. . . . For the reader whose appetite for bee-stuff has been whetted, there's a good bibliography that you can pursue to fill in the fine points. If there are no books on bees in your house, this is the first one you should buy. And if bees could read, I'm sure there would be a copy of this book in every h