The Buzz about Bees - Biology of a superorganism

The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism
Jürgen Tautz
1st edition
284 pages
ISBN-10: 3540787275
ISBN-13: 978-3540787273

With spectacularly beautiful colour photographs and an easy understandable text The Buzz about Bees tells the story of honeybees in a new perspective. Based on the latest data, notably from his own research group, Jürgen Tautz provides a wonderful insight into the realms of bees. In contrast to the view of bee colonies as perfect societies of selfless individuals ruled by a queen, Tautz introduces them as a “superorganism”, a self organizing and complex adaptive system based on a network of communication; a fascinating result of evolution – a mammal in several bodies. The entire range of astonishing bee activities is described. Remarkable action photographs never shown before present bees busy with cell cleaning, caring for the brood, serving in the queen’s court, visiting flowers, receiving nectar, producing honey, comb building, entrance guarding, heating and cooling. Spotlights include bees grooming, swarming, fighting, telephoning, sleeping and communicating by high-toned beeping, scents and dances.



Table of Contents

The Bee Colony - a Mammal in Many Bodies

Man’s Smallest Domestic Animal - a Picture Guide

The Inevitable Honeybees

Propagated Immortality

Honeybees - a Model for Success

What Bees Know About Flowers

Honeybee Sex, and Virgin Brides

Royal Jelly - Designer Diet in Bee Colonies

The Largest Organ of the Bee Colony - Construction and Function of the Comb
Cultivated Intelligence

Is Honey Thicker than Blood: How Important Is the Family?
The Circle Closes
The Future for Bees and Mankind