The Quest for the Perfect Hive: A History of Innovation in Bee Culture
Language: English
Published by Oxford University Press, 2013
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: killarneybooks, Inagh, Clare, Irelandkillarneybooks
AbeBooks seller since April 20, 2017
Condition: Used - Near fine
£ 45.01
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Cloth hardcover, reprint, xii + 198 pages, numerous b&w illustrations in text, NOT ex-library. Book is clean and bright throughout with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Minor mild handling wear only. In a crisp untorn dust jacket. -- This historical survey traces the 4,500-year evolution of the beehive, from ancient Egyptian clay cylinders to the revolutionary Langstroth hive used today. It examines how human ingenuity has shaped beekeeping by balancing the biological needs of the bee with the economic desires of the harvester. The book documents the transition from "bee killing" (where hives were destroyed to get honey) to "bee management", highlighting key inventions like the movable frame and the discovery of "bee space" (the 1851 breakthrough by Lorenzo Langstroth). It covers diverse traditional methods, including Greek baskets, Roman tiles, and medieval straw skeps, showing how geography dictated hive design. Kritsky argues that the "perfect hive" was a pursuit driven by both scientific curiosity and the industrial need for efficiency, ultimately changing our relationship with the natural world. The author uses his background in Egyptology to provide rare insights into the earliest known apiaries. Through the extensive use of US Patent Office records, the text showcases the bizarre and often failed hive designs of the 19th-century "honey gold rush". -- Gene Kritsky is a professor at Mount St. Joseph University and is widely considered the world's leading expert on periodical cicadas. He is unique for being both an entomologist and an Egyptologist, which allowed him to translate ancient hieroglyphs depicting beekeeping for this book.…
Seller Inventory # 013153
- Title
- The Quest for the Perfect Hive: A History of Innovation in Bee Culture
- Author
- Gene Kritsky
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Publication year
- 2013
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0195385446
- ISBN 13
- 9780195385441
- Edition
- 1st Edition
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.
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About the Author
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killarneybooks
Inagh, Clare, Ireland
AbeBooks seller since April 20, 2017
Shipping rates from Ireland to U.S.A.
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All U.S.-bound orders are now shipped with UPS for reliable delivery. Additional customs or import fees are highly unlikely; however, please note buyers remain responsible for any duties or taxes that U.S. Customs may assess. -- Killarneybooks is a family-run bookshop based in the Republic of Ireland. We take pride in accurate listings, careful packaging, and prompt service - most orders ship within 24 hours. All books listed are in stock and ready for immediate dispatch - we are not dropshippers. Inquiries always welcome.…
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killarneybooks
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