a short history of the honey bee humans flowers and bees in the eternal chase for honey
there are around 16000 species of bee . only seven of these are responsible for creating the worlds sweetest treat honey . combining ilonas gorgeous photography and e. readicker hendersons engaging text a short history of the honey bee follows the journey from flower to hive to honey throughout history . br a short history of the honey bee starts with the story of the honey bee why it is named apis mellifera how it has evolved from a solitary creature to one that travels in groups why it stings and how pollination really works . readicker henderson then moves on to the honey detailing its history from a wild food foraged for on cliffs to the many varieties available for purchase today . but it is the everyday importance of the bee that remains the central message . forty percent of the worlds food supply including apples tomatoes and strawberries is dependent on pollination by honeybees . colony collapse when the worker bees suddenly disappear and leave behind the queen and the hive is an ecological and agricultural crisis . for this reason alone we need to be more aware of the significance of bees . br