The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe

Scientists in the Field

by Loree Griffin Burns, Ellen Harasimowicz (Photographer)

Without honey bees the world would be a different place. There would be no honey, no beeswax for candles, and, worst of all, barely a fruit, nut, or vegetable to eat. So imagine beekeeper Dave Hackenburg’s horror when he discovered twenty million of his charges had vanished. Those missing bees became the first casualties of a mysterious scourge that continues to plague honey bee populations today. In The Hive Detectives, Loree Griffin Burns profiles bee wranglers and bee scientists who have been working to understand colony collapse disorder, or CCD. In this dramatic and enlightening story, readers explore the lives of the fuzzy, buzzy insects and learn what might happen to us if they were gone.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Picture Books, Nature, Middle Grade, Childrens

66 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2010

About the author

Loree is a scientist-turned-writer specializing in books about science and nature for young readers. You can learn more about her adventures and her books by visiting her website (www.loreeburns.com) or by following her blog (http://loreeburns.com/category/blog/).

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe is an informative nonfiction book that focuses on the honey bee. The plot focuses on a true event in 2006 when a honey bee farmer in the U.S. finds that his honey bees have died. We're not talking about a few hundred bees or even a few thousand...we're talking about twenty million honey bees. This was huge loss and word of mouth discovered other farmers all over the world had experienced similar losses. This information made its way to the United States Congress which thankfully warranted enough concern to take action. The term colony collapse disorder (CCD) was coined and a group of scientists were recruited to determine what was killing honey bees.

The Hive Detectives discusses the science behind the honey bee as an animal, the dynamics within a honey bee hive, the purpose the honey bee serves in earth's ecosystem, how the honey bee's work impacts humans, and the theories/research/testing that were conducted by scientists during the CCD investigation. It also offers beautiful visuals on every page, a helpful glossary, and a list of other materials to study.

Although this book is targeted to middle-grade youth, I as an adult learned quite a bit. What hit me the hardest was a renewed realization that sustainability in agricultural farming NEEDS to be common practice ASAP. If not, we will be exterminating not only the targeted species of pests that are harmful to farming but also the irreplaceable species that make farming possible. In other words, we will no longer be able to grow fresh plant-based foods which will have a domino effect that could very well exterminate human life. No, this book does not lay out the horror I just summed up - that was just what I took away from my reading experience. Unfortunately, The Hive Detectives does not offer a single conclusion, but it details a combination of factors that may be in play. If nothing else, it will get children and adults eager enough for a conclusion to go research this topic on their own. This is an example of when knowledge is power. Change needs to happen and the more people that know about it the better.

My favorite quote:
"Our world is a dangerous place for them [honey bees], and it will take a Herculean effort on the part of all humans - people who keep bees, people who study bees, and even people who read about bees - to see them through."


12/02/15:
Reading along with my boy ♥

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great series, and anyone who has read at least one title in the Scientists in the Field will want to have them all in his/her classrooom library. What intrigues me about this book is that the scientists featured are still hard at work trying to figure out what is causing colony collapse disorder(CCD)among honeybees. The author provides interesting details about bees such as the fact that they are often attacked by mites about the size of the letter o or the description of bee diarrhea. The problem with bees is described from the moment beekeeper Dave Hackenburg realized that several of his bees were missing back in 2006, and then the author follows scientists as they try to solve the mystery behind their disappearance, first ruling out three culprits: Varroa mites, tracheal mites, and Nosema, a parasite that does damage to bees' digestive tracts before looking for other places to point the finger of blame. Not only do readers learn about bee society and habits, but they meet folks such as Mary Duane as she harvests honey from the beehives in her back yard. The inclusion of an Appendix Bee with interesting facts about bees adds to the pleasure of reading this well-researched, carefully-written book. The photographs are sure to appeal to young readers too as they feature golden jars of honey and upclose shots of hives and honeycombs. Oh, yes, and there are several photographs of bees, of course. The inclusion of a tiny photograph of a bee on several pages adds to the impressive design of this book, amking it a treat for the eyes and a substantial meal for the brain.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid I was fascinated with the social insects--bees and ants. I still like to read about them. Burns' book related the fascinating story of the search for the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which has devastated beehives around the world and, in turn, affected the food industry, which is highly dependent upon bees to help pollinate plants and trees. She took a complex subject and systematically explained it so that readers could understand. Along the way, she also examined bee anatomy, communication, and social behavior, as well as how honey is made. Some of the pictures were incredible, such as the close-ups of the bees with full nectar baskets, the bee with the mite attached to its head, and the cross-sections of a bee that is infected and a bee that is healthy. And, hey, I think I can tell the difference now between a male and female bee now. I couldn't put this book down--outstanding!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of my grandsons was searching for books on snakes and dinosaurs in juvenile nonfiction, this gem of a book jumped out at me a few shelves away. Although this book is apparently aimed at children, I found it very interesting and informative. Because of my interest in gardening and beekeeping, I had prior knowledge of the topic, but I am always looking for more information.

The photographs are beautiful, but more importantly this book explains in an easy to understand way the research that has been done on the phenomena of colony collapse.

Loree Burns reports on the research of four bee specialists; each one studied one possible cause of colony collapse.

Unfortunately the exact reason for the loss of so many hives is still not known, but Burns is able to explain the theories, research, and methods of research.

Burns also includes general information and photos about bees.

I've done a little informal research on the topic myself; this is my neighbor with his hive:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwbby...

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now in love with honey bees. Well, not really, but I am just completely fascinated with them. These insects have a complete society, with a hierarchy, building plans, and social network that easily rivals anything I've ever seen before. SO cool!

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns and photographer Ellen Harasimowicz is part of the amazing "Scientists in the Field" series. If you have yet to pick up a book in this series, you must run out to the library now and grab them. Such fantastic information with brilliant photographs.

In this installment, readers are first given a glimpse into a working beehive and what it's like to be a beekeeper. We learn about supplies, including thick gloves, clothing, and the ever-important smoke machine, that are necessary before heading in to tend to the honey bees and their product.

We then move along to Dave Hackenburg and his missing bees. Over 20 million of his honey bees just vanished in 2006, sparking the news stories about missing honey bees all over the place...a huge problem which is continuing today.

Throughout the course of the book, readers get to meet different beekeepers and bee scientists all over the country, all committed to finding out what is causing colony collapse disorder among honey bees. Some are simply trying to make their living bottling honey and others are in it for the scientific angle. All are incredibly intriguing.

Readers learn about the actual bees making the honey, the process of making honey once the bees do their part, possible enemies of the bee, all while viewing beautiful photography by Loree Griffin Burns. A mystery of sorts, that the reader is able to follow along with and continue researching after they finish with this book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hive Detectives chronicles the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and the possible causes of this great threat to honeybees and agriculture. The book begins by tagging along with a hobbyist beekeeper Mary Duane, the reader is given a good brief introduction as to what beekeepers do on a small scale. A brief introduction to the large scale beekeeping operation of Dave and Davey Hackenberg follows; they were some of the first beekeepers to observe CCD in their apiaries. As more and more CCD cases begin to be reported throughout the country, four scientists join forces, each specializing in a different aspect of bee study: field studies and autopsies; analyzing bee pests; analyzing bee samples for bacterial and viral pathogens; and examining pesticide levels in bees, pollen, honeycomb, and brood; this team of scientists hopes to discover the causes of CCD. The book follows each scientist individually through their studies, the close-up photographs and study details bring the reader directly into the laboratory. Each aspect of study is explained in detail, many details and photos are definitely not for the squeamish! Along with the scientists’ play-by-play, interesting information and facts about bees are placed throughout the book in “notebook” format with hand-written text and photos that appear to be taped into the notebook. This notebook format is unique and fun, giving the reader a feeling that they are flipping through a beekeeper’s notebook.

As the CCD investigations bring out much interesting information, the disorder still remains a mystery which further study will hopefully uncover in the future. The book leads back to Mary Duane, hobbyist beekeeper, it is time for her to harvest her honey. The process of honey extraction is interesting and surprisingly simple, to see it gives the reader an insider’s view of the sweet simplicity of honey from hive to bottle. The book concludes with an Appendix Bee which includes as Burns puts it “the amazing things I have learned about honeybees while researching this book.” The book also includes a “Materials to Study” page which offers great resources which includes books, magazines, movies and documentaries, and websites, for those readers looking for more information. The Hive Detectives is engrossing from cover to cover; after reading this book no reader can deny that honeybees are absolutely amazing and fascinating little creatures. The book makes very apparent the threat of CCD and the importance of honeybees to agricultural production, and most young readers will see honeybees in a whole new light. With captivating information, accompanying up-close photographs, and unique, fun layout, this book is a joy to ride and one that every young person should.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many eggs do you think a queen bee lays in a day? Two thousand eggs a day, seven days a week!

Bees have such a good sense of smell that they have been trained to sniff out bombs and dead bodies! (p. 56)

Did you know that bees can get diarrhea? There are these little mites that can attach themselves to bees--like ticks--and cause them to get sick... and get diarrhea. They usually don't poop inside the hive (red-orange splatters), but when you get sick and you gotta go, you gotta go, even when you're a bee!

You've probably heard about the honey bee crisis. In 2006, beekeeper Dave Hackenberg found 20 million of his bees had vanished without a trace. A mysterious scourge has been ravaging bee colonies (CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and no one knows what causes it. This is a bee mystery of the highest importance because bees help pollinate our food; bee death will impact our food supply. YOUR food supply. Try to figure out what's gone wrong with these amazing little bugs in The Hive Detectives.

You can also get involved helping save bee populations by going to Beespotter Project (beespotter.mste.uiuc.edu), Great Sunflower Project (www.greatsunflower.org) or the Feral Hive Project (www.savethehives.com) p. 59.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this stunning book, Burns chronicles the efforts of beekeepers and bee scientists on their detective journey to find out what is killing honey bees all across the country. The catastrophe is referred to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Before launching into the investigation, Burns details the daily routine behind beekeeping, while photographs provide visual reference and explain the different tools and hives. She then describes, though the story of the Hackenbergs, why bees are fundamental to our plants and food. By laying out the problem, children will understand just why it is so important to understand why bees are dying off. Burns’ unique voice carries the narrative, teases the reader and presents information and science in an accessible manner. Full-color photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz stunning and detailed, adding extra information that can’t be covered in the txt. Selected references, suggested reading, and a glossary of terms aid readers and give them a boost to continue learning about this phenomenon.

[Sharne' Cherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Informational
2. The Hive Detectives discusses bee wranglers and bee scientists across the country who have been working to understand colony collapse disorder better known as CCD.
3.a Illustration
b. The illustrations or pictures in this informational book add to the read. On each page there is at least one picture in which depicts what the page is talking about. As I read through this book, the pictures kept me entertained and interested in the information being given. Without them, I really think I would have become disinterested because there is so much information being given. The pictures are all photographs that have been taken, therefore they are all realisitic.
c. On page 5, The picture is zoomed in so the reader can actually see the bee keeper collecting propolis. In the text it is described as, sticky, brown and gummy" all of which the picture portrays. Very realistic feel.
4. This book can be used to build students knowledge of how bees contribute to the environment. One could use the book to further examine bees, tackle curiosity as well as decrease fear.

[Shaeley Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bees from the perspective of a hobbyist beekeeper, a commercial beekeeper, and scientists who are called in to study the mysterious disappearance of 20 million honeybees - the start of CCD (colony collapse disorder) back in 2006.

Contains a variety of text features, making this a great mentor text for the classroom.

holiday #bookaday

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

[Grace Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Honey Bees are disappearing at an alarming rate but why? Without honey bees, there would be no honey, beeswax, fruits, nuts, or vegetables. How could bees have this big of an impact? They pollinate these plants to make them grow! In The Hive Detectives, Loree Griffin Burns profiles beekeepers and bee scientists to find out why colonies of bees are seemingly disappearing.

Evaluation:
The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe, is a wonderful nonfiction literature section for upper-grades elementary students interested in science, more particularly these buzzing creatures- the honey bee.

Teaching Idea:
The Scientists in the Field Series is wonderful selection to pull from for upper elementary students. This book in particular would be one I would pull from to teach students nonfiction text features. This work of nonfiction contains multiple text features such as photographs, diagrams, captions, labels, sidebars, a glossary, an index, and references. I would use this book to show my students examples of each of these text features. Then I would allow them to do a book scavenger hunt in which they find examples of each of these nonfiction text features in a book of their choice.

[Julia]

Summary: This book is all about Honey bees. It follows the events of what would happen without them and the mystery of why they are disappearing. It shows just how much humans would be affected if those little bees were no longer around.

Evaluation: This book was such an informative book. How it described what would happen to humans if those honey bees disappeared. It was eye opening, and would be for students who had no idea just how important those bees are. The pictures of bees on the combs were so amazing. The book had such close up pictures of the bees.

Teaching Ideas: This book would be extremely beneficial for students who are learning about ecosystems, especially fourth graders. They can read this book on their own. It would be good to give them a scenario about what would happen if something disappeared and they would have to research and figure out a cause and effect of that scenario. One of the scenarios could be about bees. The students would have to look through this book and figure out what would happen if bees went extinct. And how could we as humans help to change it,

[Alexis Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
In this book, Honeybees are followed. It is all about the bees and what they do. The story follows events of what would happen without them, and why they are disappearing. It describes the lives of the bees and their responsibilities within the hives. The scientists are trying to solve the mystery of CCD and the research shares a search for a solution.

Evaluation:
This book is appropriate for upper elementary grades. I really enjoyed the photographs throughout this book. Each photo has its own story that is followed behind captions that give a mini informational piece. I believe honey bees are such are cool topic to cover because most students know what the honey bee is, but we fail to recognize our lives without them. This book keeps the reader ready to find out!

Teaching Moment:
I’d use this text to introduce ecosystems to students. The bees are valuable to our ecosystem and the text shows exactly what would happen without them therefore this book would be a good engagement read aloud for older students. The students could use other informational texts to research an ecosystem of their choice.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This awesome nonfiction picture book shares fascinating information along with stunning photography to describe how scientists worked together with bee keepers to understand why colonies of bees were mysteriously collapsing. In 2006, people working in the beekeeping industry discovered that entire beehives were being losing their bees at an alarming rate. Because bees and other pollinators are an important part of producing America's food, it was imperative that scientists get a handle on this problem. This is a terrific nonfiction resource to have on the shelf because it illustrates how scientists approach problems like this, it is very well researched, and it includes lots of resources for further research. It also would make a great mentor text for informational writing as it blends narrative style writing with factual information and includes terrific illustrations.

[Candance Doerr-Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book. I was inspired to read this after viewing the 2010 documentary on CCD “The Queen of the Sun.” Although this book is geared toward younger readers 9-12 year olds, I very much enjoyed the highly visually approach to learning about honey bees and colony collapse disorder (CCD).

My new knowledge on the topic has me looking at agriculture and flower gardens in a whole new way and has given me a whole new reason for buying organically grown foods. It’s not just about avoiding toxins in the food I eat but about protecting the ecosystem of honeybees so that they don’t die and continue pollinating 40% of humans fruit supply.

[Lesley Burnap · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the fantabulous "Scientists in the Field" series from publishers Houghton Mifflin. Thoroughly researched, Loree G. Burns shares the investigation about the devastating loss of honey bees from their hives in Florida (and other locales around the country). As she goes deeper into the mystery, we meet local and national experts and learn what is being done to isolate a reason for the missing bees. The appendix includes additional facts and photos, a glossary, resources for further reading and exploration, references and an index.

[Logan Savage]

Honey Bees are crucial in our lives even if we don't see it. Bee keeper Dave Hackenburg was shocked to find his 20 million bees gone. He's on a mission to find out why this is happening to bees all over the world.

I thought this book was interesting. The pictures were real and clear and made you feel like you were a part of the book. I think this book would be fun and engaging for kids of all ages.

This could be used to get information for a research unit. The students could read this and pull out important information to include it their research paper.

[Lynn Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!I

Well written engaging
Good for thought, as in if pesticides can kill bees, what can they do to humans who ingest much larger quantities? I am dying from allergies caused by bad genetics and even worse raising. Bad. Way to go. At the least, these forms of illness are being published by MDs who read books like this one. Someday soon, we will have an answer brought by the horror of these poor creatures deaths. I am so sorry for Bees. Thank you bees.

[Donald Stockley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in honeybees this is a very informative book. It covers the initial signs of Colony Collapse Disorder within the commercial beekeepeing world and what could have been the cause. It covers the science behind finding what was the cause and how best to manage moving forward. This book is also a really good introduction to honey bees and pollinators in general. I now have a few websites to discover thanks to this book.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is So interesting. Full of fascinating, educational facts and amazing photography, this is detailed information about the alarming decrease in honey bees, and the people who are trying to find out the reasons and how to help them.

[Aida Rosemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent if dated book that introduces basic research practices, bee biology, and apiarist practices to younger readers.

Strange note, there is a random quote from a Florida representative. I'm not sure how they relate to the practice of bee keeping or study.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

With concise, easy-to-understand text the author introduces us to bee wranglers and bee scientists who work to understand Colony Collapse Disorder and search for solutions. Along the way, we learn about basic beekeeping and bee biology. Photographs appear on every page, bringing the text to life.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Informational
Unique Feature: Investigates why bees are suddenly dying.
Grade: 4-6

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good description of Colony Collapse Disorder that has hit the honeybee population. Amazing photographs.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book in the fabulous “Scientists in the Field” series

[Maddie Gilmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
This book is an informational book that discusses honey bees and a time that a man names Dave realized checked 400 of his hives and realized all of the bees had vanished. Dave and his team worked hard to see what happened and why they disappeared.

Evaluation:
This was a great informational book for students to learn about bee's. I thought it would teach students about bees and also what happens when they disappear.

Teaching Idea:
With this book, I would have the students read this book and have them act as detectives. I would have a worksheet that has step by step of the students coming up with their own steps of figuring out why the bees vanished.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't care that this was written for children. It was terrific, and it pointed me to more resources to get more information. This provides a terrific base, providing just enough information on the discovery and investigation of what leads to colony collapse. Timely and well done.

[Jordan Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Hackerfield’s disaster horror day begins when he discovered that twenty million bees have disappeared! Without bees we can no have fruit, honey, foods, beeswax for candles and more! David and a group of scientists go through trying to understand colony collapse disorder (ccd) and teach the readers all about bees and their lives and what would happen to our world is they disappeared forever!I personally really enjoyed the message of this book. Nowadays, people are so into themselves and take advantage of the world around them! This is a great way for people to stop take a breath and look at the world around them and realize how truly amazing it is…even the littlest things like bees! Bees are magnificent creatures that people do not know much about and the impact that they make in our world is incredible!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read!