EAS Master Beekeeper Frank Linton and MSBA's own webmaster, Phil Frank, recently published a "travel guide" to the inside of a hive: Hive Tour, with a forward by Dr. Dewey Caron.
The book's pages are made up of clear, close up photos of key elements of the inside of a living bee colony, with explanatory labels and call outs. The book is organized to help the reader zero in on the areas that interest them most, including the hives themselves, bees at different life stages, the anatomy of bees, behaviors, pests, and more!
As Phil points out, "Vivid imagery is clearly annotated, guiding you to the most interesting sights."
Dr. Caron offers strong praise. "[They] have created a fascinating, visual journey through the mysterious beehive. Hive Tour guides us, with full page photos and clear signage, to find how honey bees literally shape their world and live their lives as uniquely social creatures... The coverage of the material is impressive...Hive Tour will even help you find body parts, from end to end (or antennae to stinger)!"
Frank has previously published The Observation Hive Handbook. (with Clarence Collision), and both he and Phil are members of the Montgomery County Beekeepers. For that club, they help support the observation hive maintained at the Brookside Nature Center. The staff who present the observation hive to the public asked for guidance on what to demonstrate and how to explain it: working on this material, Phil and Frank realized that the tools they were pulling together could be used in many settings that include an observation hive, as well as for beginning beekeeping and others who are simply curious about bees.
Frank and Phil spent two years, off and on, developing this material. The book has just been released, and is available for purchase ($25) on Amazon.
Want a detailed look inside? Click HERE
