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Post by janetandjohn on Mar 24, 2020 9:05:26 GMT
Well! What a strange world I have inhabited, reading this one. The inside of a beehive, and all its workings. And what a read it was too. I know a couple of you have read this, and I also know that some people like this more than others. It is hard, if you only like books with "real" happenings, to imagine that you could read a book of 300+pages about bees and their hive. But I promise you that it is fascinating.
I knew that queens mated in the air, fertilised by the strongest drone, who died immediately afterwards. I knew that. I didn't know that the drone died immediately after leaving his penis inside the queen. And if that isn't enough, I just thought there were bees who flew and collected pollen, and those who stayed behind. It turns out that it's much more complicated than that! The bees who collect pollen, collect that as a second thought. The first thing they are after is nectar, which is why you see them delving deep into flowers. The pollen is secondary, but that is the thing you see if you inspect a bee close up in the garden, when you spot the tiny yellow parcels attached to the legs.
And if this sounds like a natural history lesson, forget it, for although the bees in this book are not humanised in any way, it is wonderful and illuminating, and if you can make it, will make you understand a lot more about honey, about the way a hive works, and what happens during a year's cycle. Did you know that they have castes? That the lowest caste are the cleaners of the hive? They have policemen? A ruling class? Proper nurseries? Did you know that the drones are waited on hand and foot, and fed the best, and cleaned and manicured by the others...... because they are male, and need to be kept big and strong on the chance that they are the chosen one to mate with a new queen. I could go on.
The heroine of this book is Flora 717, a lowly cleaner worker bee. She's not liked much, she's a bit on the plain side, too tall, markings too dark. And if this all sounds totally human you might find yourself openmouthed like me. You'll learn how and why this structure works, and follow Flora rising in the ranks from cleaner to forrager. The more I read, the more I loved this book. I will never, ever, look at a bee in the same way again.
At the end of the book, the author tells you which book she found out all the facts from, and also gives a Google link to follow in case you don't believe what you are reading. Finally, here is a link to a very short slo-mo film with some facts overlaid. Watch it!
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Post by rosemary3 on Mar 25, 2020 22:01:34 GMT
Thanks Mrs Mac! I have this on TBR. Looking forward to it now!
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Post by adelynechan on Mar 26, 2020 11:55:48 GMT
Sounds right up my street! Is there any chance your copy is going spare, Mrs Mac (doesn't have to be now, sometime in the future) otherwise I'd consider this adding this to my next Amazon delivery
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Post by janetandjohn on Mar 26, 2020 18:30:17 GMT
Sounds right up my street! Is there any chance your copy is going spare, Mrs Mac (doesn't have to be now, sometime in the future) otherwise I'd consider this adding this to my next Amazon delivery It's yours...... so don't buy it, and pass it on somewhere afterwards!
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Post by adelynechan on Mar 26, 2020 19:19:23 GMT
Thank you! And yes of course to passing it on afterwards. Anything on my list that you might like?
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Post by janetandjohn on Mar 26, 2020 20:10:19 GMT
Thank you! And yes of course to passing it on afterwards. Anything on my list that you might like? Adelyne, thanks but no. My lock-down plan is to read as many of my TBR as possible!!
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Post by janetandjohn on Apr 21, 2020 8:35:48 GMT
Thank you! And yes of course to passing it on afterwards. Anything on my list that you might like? Adelyne, thanks but no. My lock-down plan is to read as many of my TBR as possible!! Adelyne - sorry, did I send this to you?
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Post by adelynechan on Apr 21, 2020 9:03:07 GMT
Adelyne, thanks but no. My lock-down plan is to read as many of my TBR as possible!! Adelyne - sorry, did I send this to you? Yes, you did! Thank you again
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Post by geminii on Apr 21, 2020 16:52:44 GMT
I think Mrs Mac & I had a chat about this book after our last Bookbarn Meet .. The more I explained how much I just couldn't 'see' the inside of the Hive, the more Mrs M despaired at my logical mind .. I could visualise our heroine, Flora and enjoyed her story and the social interactions & hierarchy inside the hive - loved the descriptions of the flights out to forage for food, that was lovely .. But, I couldn't see doors and staircases, tables, beds & utensils being used by the bee colony - the humanisation elements made me think that this would be great as a fluffy Disney movie - maybe one day it will ..
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Post by janetandjohn on Apr 21, 2020 17:57:01 GMT
I think Mrs Mac & I had a chat about this book after our last Bookbarn Meet .. The more I explained how much I just couldn't 'see' the inside of the Hive, the more Mrs M despaired at my logical mind .. I could visualise our heroine, Flora and enjoyed her story and the social interactions & hierarchy inside the hive - loved the descriptions of the flights out to forage for food, that was lovely .. But, I couldn't see doors and staircases, tables, beds & utensils being used by the bee colony - the humanisation elements made me think that this would be great as a fluffy Disney movie - maybe one day it will .. We did, and I did despair, just a little bit!...... But if you can find National Geographic of March this year, you might find it interesting. Tables, beds? don't remember that, utensils? only for the things that really happen. But I forgive you, I know you are not comfortable with fantasy of any kind, and it's difficult then. But in the Nat. Geo, there are actually pics of the way bees capture a hornet and actually heat him up to kill him. FAB!
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Post by geminii on Apr 21, 2020 18:11:05 GMT
I think Mrs Mac & I had a chat about this book after our last Bookbarn Meet .. The more I explained how much I just couldn't 'see' the inside of the Hive, the more Mrs M despaired at my logical mind .. I could visualise our heroine, Flora and enjoyed her story and the social interactions & hierarchy inside the hive - loved the descriptions of the flights out to forage for food, that was lovely .. But, I couldn't see doors and staircases, tables, beds & utensils being used by the bee colony - the humanisation elements made me think that this would be great as a fluffy Disney movie - maybe one day it will .. We did, and I did despair, just a little bit!...... But if you can find National Geographic of March this year, you might find it interesting. Tables, beds? don't remember that, utensils? only for the things that really happen. But I forgive you, I know you are not comfortable with fantasy of any kind, and it's difficult then. But in the Nat. Geo, there are actually pics of the way bees capture a hornet and actually heat him up to kill him. FAB!I obviously remember more that I thought .. Ha ha !! The young had 'rooms' that she had to clean .. there were doors into the Queens rooms, and stairs between the levels, eg down to the morgue .. they had mugs for the honey at mealtimes. They all met in the Great Hall to dance out the directions for more food, etc .. If the Author had added a drawing of the inside of the Hive, I would have been able to picture it and understand more ..
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