The Quest for the Perfect Hive: A History of Innovation in Bee Culture

by Gene Kritsky

Beekeeping is a sixteen-billion-dollar-a-year business. But the invaluable honey bee now faces severe threats from diseases, mites, pesticides, and overwork, not to mention the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes seemingly healthy bees to abandon their hives en masse, never to return.

In The Quest for the Perfect Hive , entomologist Gene Kritsky offers a concise, beautifully illustrated history of beekeeping, tracing the evolution of hive design from ancient Egypt to the present. Not simply a descriptive account, the book suggests that beekeeping's long history may in fact contain clues to help beekeepers fight the decline in honey bee numbers. Kritsky guides us through the progression from early mud-based horizontal hives to the ascent of the simple straw skep (the inverted basket which has been in use for over 1,500 years), from hive design's Golden Age in Victorian England up through the present. He discusses what worked, what did not, and what we have forgotten about past hives that might help counter the menace to beekeeping today. Indeed, while we have sequenced the honey bee genome and advanced our knowledge of the insects themselves, we still keep our bees in hives that have changed little during the past century. If beekeeping is to survive, Kritsky
argues, we must start inventing again. We must find the perfect hive for our times.

For thousands of years, the honey bee has been a vital part of human culture. The Quest for the Perfect Hive not only offers a colorful account of this long history, but also provides a guide for ensuring its continuation into the future.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 27, 2010

Reviews

[Kirk]

A good book for beekeepers who are interested in how hive design interacts with colony dynamics. He ends up saying that top-bar hives are the only major innovation since the Langstroth was developed a century and a half ago, and that we ought to experiment and innovate more. As he shows, the bees can adapt to pretty much whatever we throw at them — though some designs probably work better than others.

[Br. Thanasi (Thomas) Stama]

This is a lovely history on beekeeping which brings up to the current day except for discussion of colony collapse. A must read for any beekeeper.

[Ashley K.]

Probably an essential read for beekeepers, but a little dry for the rest of us!

[Randy]

Beekeeping is a sixteen-billion-dollar-a-year business. But the invaluable honey bee now faces severe threats from diseases, mites, pesticides, and overwork, not to mention the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes seemingly healthy bees to abandon their hives en masse, never to return.

In The Quest for the Perfect Hive, entomologist Gene Kritsky offers a concise, beautifully illustrated history of beekeeping, tracing the evolution of hive design from ancient Egypt to the present. Not simply a descriptive account, the book suggests that beekeeping's long history may in fact contain clues to help beekeepers fight the decline in honey bee numbers. Kritsky guides us through the progression from early mud-based horizontal hives to the ascent of the simple straw skep (the inverted basket which has been in use for over 1,500 years), from hive design's Golden Age in Victorian England up through the present. He discusses what worked, what did not, and what we have forgotten about past hives that might help counter the menace to beekeeping today. Indeed, while we have sequenced the honey bee genome and advanced our knowledge of the insects themselves, we still keep our bees in hives that have changed little during the past century. If beekeeping is to survive, Kritsky argues, we must start inventing again. We must find the perfect hive for our times.

For thousands of years, the honey bee has been a vital part of human culture. The Quest for the Perfect Hive not only offers a colorful account of this long history, but also provides a guide for ensuring its continuation into the future.

**

[Adrian Brown]

I haven't actually finished reading this. It's so darling, because it's so... so... so ACADEMIC. Written by someone who feels passionately about a fairly obscure topic. Which is very cute. Is it interesting? Not really, not yet. I'm about half way through.

[Karen]

Great book if you're interested in the history of honey bee hives. Condenses the work Eva Crane "World history of beekeeping and honey hunting". Great photos..