I am excited to announce that my new book, The Heart of Hive, comes out next month! After three years of writing and researching I cannot wait for you all to read it. My goal was to a write a book that shares all the most fascinating bee science in a fun, accessible way. My hope is that readers will gain a better understand how honey bees live without having to comb through dense research papers and biology books. Plus, it features absolutely stunning photography from Eric Tourneret.

A Book for Beekeepers

I believe that the best beekeepers are the ones who understand how honey bees live without a beekeeper. After all, who knows how to keep bees alive more than the bees themselves? By studying them closely, we beekeepers can improve our methods of caring for them. Yet, many beekeeping books spend only a few pages on the lifecyle of honey bees and never truly delve into the details of how they live, work and communicate.

For years, I have urged my beekeeping students to read honey bee biology books, but they rarely do. Many find the text is too dense or just not written in a way that holds their attention. Plus, biology books never seem to capture the non-scientific aspects of understanding honey bees. That littl bit of magic or mystery that so many beekeepers know and love. So, I decided to write the book I wished my beekeeping students to read. One that shares  interesting and relevant honey bee research in an entertaining way. One that captures some of the ‘yet to be explained’ mysteries I have experienced as a beekeeper. I hope that The Heart of the Hive will provide a solid foundation for new beekeepers to better understand their honey bees. But I suspect even experienced beekeepers will be entertained if not enlightened.

A Book for Everyone

Heart of the Hive isn’t a ‘how to’ beekeeping book. It’s actually meant for non-beekeeping readers as well! As I wrote in the introduction to the book: “Everyone, not just the beekeeper, should know honey bees”. It astounds me how little the general population knows about honey bees despite the tremendous role they play in agriculture and ecosystems around the world. Even if they were not so vital to life as we know it though, I would still want to teach people about honey bees. Simply because they are fascinating. It’s truly mind boggling how they manage to organize themselves so perfectly in the face of an ever-changing enviornment. If you’ve ever wondered how bees find the flowers in your garden, why they end up in your pool, or what vendetta that stinging bee had against you personally–this book is for you!

Want a Signed Copy?

With a little less than a month before its release, pre-orders for Heart of the Hive are now open! As an extra perk, I will be signing all of the pre-ordered books ordered through my website shop. So, be sure to place an order before September 2nd to get your signed copy! 

What Early Readers Are Saying