Keeping The Bees: Why All Bees Are at Risk and What We Can Do to Save Them

by Laurence Packer

A world without bees would be much less colourful, with fewer plants and flowers. But that's not all -- food would be in much shorter supply, and available in much less variety. While the media focuses on colony-collapse disorder and the threats to honey bees specifically, the real danger is much greater: all bees are at risk. And because of the integral role these insects play in the ecology of our planet, we may be at risk as well.

The life of Laurence Packer, a melittologist at Toronto's York University, revolves around bees, whether he's searching for them under leaves in a South American jungle or identifying new species in the desert heat of Arizona. Packer often finds himself in exotic and even dangerous locales, risking snake bites, sunstroke, and even the ire of other scientists. Everywhere he travels, he discovers the same unsettling trend: bees are disappearing. And since bees are responsible for up to one-third of our food supply, the consequences are frightening.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Animals, Biology

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I assumed this would be a beekeeping memoir. In fact, it’s a thorough and passionate defense of the ongoing ecological importance of bees, written by a York University, Toronto biology professor in 2010. Packer insists that bees are the new canary in the environmental coal mine; more so than birds, they are the best indicators of collapsing ecosystems (it’s just that amateurs are more likely to be surveying birds – and identifying them correctly). Almost every component of your average breakfast, including coffee, depends on the pollinating work of bees, and we will surely face a food crisis in the next several decades unless we preserve them.

The study of bees is known as melittology – and in a fun touch of etymology in a book about entomology, Packer notes that the same Greek root word gives us adjectives like mellifluous and melodious. And he does indeed make bees sound pleasant, except perhaps when he discusses the predatory ones: cuckoo and robber bees, and the bee wolf (actually a wasp). Although the author might be accused of anthropomorphism at times, passages such as this one help to explain why he has such fondness for bees: “Male bees are randy little buggers whose sole aim is to mate with females that will use their sperm.” I should have known – and possibly did but just forgot – that only female bees sting; the stinger is a modified ovipositor.

This book is most valuable as a madcap travel adventure into bee diversity. There are seven families of bees; they can be social or solitary; and they rely on all sorts of food and nest sites. (It’s not just honey; vulture bees feed on rotting meat!) Bees are, contrary to expectations, especially diverse in deserts. For novices, it will be especially useful to read about the differences between true bees and the various “wanna-bees,” such as hover flies and some moths and beetles that can look remarkably bee-like.

Packer journeys from his native Canada to Australia, Florida, South Africa and Mexico to research bee colonies. His chapter titles and subtitles are fun reading in their own right. I especially liked his account of collecting pollen by shaking flowers with the motion of a tuning fork; he discovered that a plucked guitar string works just as well. The supplementary material, including photos and a chart and list of all the bee families and species mentioned, may be particularly useful.

Although this book certainly has an agenda, it’s an important one and Packer doesn’t overstate his case. He first noticed the decline in bees in 1986, when he travelled to Munich for a conference and was struck by the dearth of bees he encountered in the German countryside. He suspected pesticide use was to blame, and it has indeed become one of the chief explanations for bees’ decline. Other causes are climate change, being supplanted by invasive species (30 in North America alone), and habitat fragmentation due to development.

Here are a few steps ordinary folks (especially gardeners) can take to help bees rebound:
• Grow bee-friendly, native plants
• Provide nesting sites, even just bamboo canes or blocks of wood
• Don’t use pesticides
• Buy organic food whenever possible

In some ways this wasn’t really a book for me – it’s much better suited to my husband, an entomology PhD student and university biology teaching associate. But everyone needs to know what’s happening to bees, and what we can do to bring them back. Best of all: all profits from this book go to research on bee conservation!

Recommended read-alikes:
• A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees, Dave Goulson – I’ve got this on the shelf to read soon
• The Bees, poems by Carol Ann Duffy
• Generation A, Douglas Coupland
• There’s certainly been a lot of buzz about The Bees by Laline Paull

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I write this, I'm watching a number of bee species foraging among the flowers of my cup plants (Silphium perfoliatum) just outside my dining room window. The author makes the case very persuasively that we must take immediate steps to preserve these important pollinators or suffer the consequences of future food insecurity. He writes with passion and erudition about his special area of study in a readable style that kept me turning the pages. He includes a useful and partially annotated bibliography as well as appendices on the names of the bee species discussed in the book. One may read this delightful work as an introduction to bee biology, as an account of doing important scientific research in the field, as a cautionary tale about negative human effects on bee populations, or as a clever treatise on the importance of ecological thinking. As I watch the bees fumbling about in my flowers, I have an even greater appreciation for the co-evolutionary processes that have made this scene possible. The subtitle of the book is Why All Bees Are at Risk and What We Can Do to Save Them. I am convinced by the author's excellent arguments and intend to take seriously his suggestions for encouraging bees in my landscape. Highly recommended.

[Don Gerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lawrence Packer directly addresses the subtitle in his last chapter, but getting there is a lot of fun. I thought his book was going to feature the things we could do to help save the bees, but in actuality this is like reading a sometimes factual, sometimes humorous textbook about bees.

I found a ton of amazing things never knew about bees, such as how many species there were, mating habits, and the dangers of bee predators. Yes, I know that sounds anything but fascinating (except for maybe the entomologists reading this), but Mr. Packer does his best to entertain while he educates. Along the way, we also learn how one small insect can have a major impact on an ecosystem, and the question of man's impact is also discussed.

A bit academic at times, this book is still worth the effort. Mr. Packer also has a detailed "Sources" section, which lists everything from books to websites to television shows, enabling readers to extend their knowledge to their heart's content. Five stars.

[Coffeecups · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars

While Packer gave readers many bee facts, the bulk of the book was focused on cursory looks at different types of bees; only the last 30 or so pages of the main text are what the subtitle indicates the book will be about. The organization of what bees are being discussed is all over the place and does the reader a disservice: had there been clear sections about each species discussed or even just each family of species, the information presented would probably have felt more complete and impactful. There was SO much regurgitation of facts and personal anecdotes that it felt unedited at times... and almost as if random chapters were intended to be read independent of the work as a whole. The genetics section felt... inaccessible to the popularist audience, and overall was not presented clearly enough to make it worthwhile to read in depth in order to understand bee populations. At times it felt like this book was a primer for his collegiate students, and the "in the next chapter..." endings of many chapters felt anachronistic to the tone of the text. The list of six action steps felt incredibly expected and honestly not worth reading the entire book to get to. While Packer certainly has the experience and knowledge to educate on bees, this work is probably not an essential for a 2023 reader when other bee books are available.

[Petar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packer's book is about the the central role of bees in human food production followed by the spectre of colony collapse disorder and a world without bees. He writes about the integral role these insects play in the ecology of our planet, and why we may be at risk as well. Packer is able to transform apiological and melittological terms into everyday language (ex, comparing a bee colony to a condo) that all readers can understand. This book gives the reader a new perspective on the importance of all species of bee's. As Packer explains, bees are the veritable 'canary in the coal mine'....the decline or even loss of these pollinating insects are a forewarning of the state of our future ecosystems and agricultural systems. Each chapter starts with a fascinating glimpse into the world of bee research. Packer concludes with six simple steps most of us could take to make sure that pollinating bees have a healthy environment to thrive in our very own backyards. A thorouhly enjoyable read!

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

After two discussions about how keeping honeybees isn't necessarily the best thing for the environment, I decided to actually read this book I had picked up. I didn't expect it to be so fascinating. The author has done an great job at keeping it moving along and interesting. I was saddened to find he has only written the one book, but I suppose the man is busy researching bees. If you want to gain an understanding of the contribution of all bees to the environment, not just the (domesticated) honeybee, this is a great book for it. There are suggestions in the back for how to encourage wild bees to feed and nest in your yard.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed many parts of this book, there were chapters that felt too technical and overwhelming to keep me engaged and focused. I would be lying if I said that my eyes didn’t glaze over during some parts! This book is very informative, but the delivery of information wasn’t always fun or captivating. I appreciate the message that was being conveyed but unfortunately, I didn’t find this book overly interesting.

[Grace Cuddihy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun! I love when books just ring of the enthusiasm that the author has for the subject, and this was one of those. It had a good balance of educational information about bees, information about environmental crises and how climate change is impacting bees, and also fun anecdotes from Packer’s experience as a researcher. Insect enthusiasts would enjoy!

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book but felt it got a bit too technical for the average reader. The portion of the book about what we can do to save the bees is well worth it, but getting there was a bit of a push for me.

[Jeanne M. Umland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love bees!

Excellent read. I love bees and truly appreciate their value. In addition to all the research provided by Dr. Packer, his suggestions about how each individual can fosters bees gives everyone a chance to help save them and US!

[Sarah]

Fantastic living book on bees.

[Caitlin Zvanovec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! Learned there are possibly ten's of different species in our backyards, and tens of thousands species around the globe. Looking forward to keeping an eye out for them this summer!

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

would love to read an updated version

[Mary Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurence Packer busts many a bee myth (not all bees are social!), revealing the dazzling variety of bees that pollinate the world's flowers. He paints a scary picture of a world without bees (no coffee), explaining how climate change, invasive species and habitat fragmentation all threaten the existence of these industrious insects. Finally, Packer offers suggestions for ways we can each do our part to encourage the bee population.

[Christine Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the state of the environment from the viewpoint of the entomologist looking at the native bee population. I disagree with the idea that we don't need honeybees but looking at the 1600 plus native bees in the US and their demise as well as the colony collapse disorder of the honeybee should be an alarm bell for all of us. They are our 21st century canary in the coal mine.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to bee biology and diversity (for the science-interested) with a strong connection to pollinator declines. Great Natural History stories. Late in the book he overplays the importance of bees a little, but it is an error of enthusiasm, which I am willing to forgive.

[Clement Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it's humorous as well as full of interesting facts about all kinds of bees. It will appeal to anyone who likes knowing about nature. It also tells the story of why some bees are threatened.

[Kyla Squires · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very important read. I wish more politicians would get their hands on this.
I particularly hope that the advice for those with gardens spreads wide and is followed.

[Falbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at problems and potential benefits of bees, takes a great long-term perspective on biodiversity issues.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyesd even though it was a bit to technical at times.

[Meowzette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Save thw bees!

Excellent book to compliment my courses at UC Davis. Great info. Packer is humorous, knowledgeable and passionate. I would highly recommend this book - it has a wealth of info on species, habitat decline (but also how to bring it back), and the greater eco system.