Queenspotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive

At the heart of every bee hive is a queen bee. Since her well-being is linked to the well-being of the entire colony, the ability to find her among the residents of the hive is an essential beekeeping skill. In QueenSpotting, experienced beekeeper and professional "swarm catcher" Hilary Kearney challenges readers to "spot the queen" with 48 fold-out visual puzzles -- vivid up-close photos of the queen hidden among her many subjects.

 

QueenSpotting celebrates the unique, fascinating life of the queen bee and chronicles royal hive happenings such as The Virgin Death Match, The Nuptual Flight -- when the queen mates with a cloud of male drones high in the air -- and the dramatic Exodus of the Swarm from the hive. Readers will thrill at Kearney's adventures in capturing these swarms from the strange places they settle, including a Jet Ski, a couch, a speed boat, and an owl's nesting box. Fascinating, fun, and instructive, backyard beekeepers and nature lovers alike will find reason to return to the pages again and again.

At the Center of Every Beehive Is the Queen Bee

 

Though she rarely leaves the hive, the queen bee's days are marked by dramatic events, from battles for dominance in the virgin death match to aerial romance in a cloud of drones. Follow urban beekeeper and swarm catcher Hilary Kearney on a trip deep inside the golden, fragrant, buzzing hive for a vivid exploration of the queen bee's fascinating life and domain.

 

Take the Queenspotting Challenge. Can you find the Queen?

"Few will be able to resist beekeeper Kearney's master class in beekeeping, a delightful mixture of how-to tips, popular science trivia, and interactive challenges... [A] spellbinding study of one of the world's most important insects, and one with appeal for kids as well as adults." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 

"A unique contribution to the vast sea of books on bees and beekeeping, and super useful for beekeepers hoping to hone their queen-finding skills. A brilliant little book!" -- Thomas D. Seeley, author of The Lives of Hives, Honeybee Democracy, and The Wisdom of the Hive

 

"Entertaining and educational. A great read for bee lovers and new-bees alike!" -- Melissa Hayes, MinuteEarth

 

"What a trip! Delightfully written and technically accurate, Queenspotting peeks into the queen's domain. With fresh prose and charming stories from the field, Kearney leads you through the intricacies of hive life and royal behavior. But more than that, the book is just plain fun. I couldn't rest until I spotted every wily monarch!" -- Rusty Burlew, HoneyBeeSuite.com

 

"Hilary Kearney writes lyrically, specifically, and succinctly, in a way that communicates her fascination and wonder while being factually accurate. Anyone interested in bees will enjoy this book." -- Michael Bush, author of The Practical Beekeeper

 

"It is rare that a single book can appeal to such a variety of readers: curious non-beekeepers who will appreciate the good science writing and enjoy the puzzles; beginning beekeepers who want to increase their knowledge and queen-spotting skills; and experienced beekeepers will find their sense of wonder about bees rekindled and be able to congratulate themselves on having developed really good 'queen eyes.'"-- Better Bee

Preface: Flash of Splendor
How to Use This Book
Why Find the Queen?

 

Inside a Honey Bee Colony
Queenspotting Puzzles: Easy
Queenspotting Puzzles: Intermediate

 

The Life of a Queen Bee
Queenspotting Puzzles: Intermediate
Queenspotting Puzzles: Advanced

 

How to Spot the Queen
Queenspotted! (Answer Key)

 

Glossary
Index
Metric Conversion Chart

Hilary Kearney is the author of QueenSpotting and the creator of Girl Next Door Honey, a beekeeping business that offers educational opportunities to hundreds of new beekeepers each year. She maintains the blog Beekeeping Like A Girl and her writing on bees has appeared in Modern Farmer and Grit magazines. Her work has been the subject of features in Huffington Post, Vogue, Mother Earth News, and other outlets. She rescues wild bee colonies and manages around 90 hives in her hometown of San Diego, California.