The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe (Scientists in the Field)

Book Synopsis: “Spotlights a ‘dream team’ of scientists as they work to determine what is threatening bee colonies and (by extension) agriculture . . . fascinating.”—Booklist (starred review)

Without honey bees the world would be a different place. There would be no honey, no beeswax for candles, and—worst of all—barely a fruit, nut, or vegetable to eat. So imagine beekeeper Dave Hackenburg’s horror when he discovered twenty million of his charges had vanished. Those missing bees became the first casualties of a mysterious scourge that continues to plague honey bee populations today.

In The Hive Detectives, Loree Griffin Burns profiles bee wranglers and bee scientists who have been working to understand colony collapse disorder, or CCD. In this dramatic and enlightening story, readers explore the lives of the fuzzy, buzzy insects and learn what might happen to us if they were gone.

“Throughout the presentation, readers learn about the anatomy, development, and social behavior of honey bees, and observe the process of scientific investigation and its vital, real-world application.”—Booklist (starred review)

“An appendix adds varied fascinating facts about bees—again using the format of an illustrated research journal. Harasimowicz’s clear, beautifully reproduced photographs support and extend the text. Readers . . . will be well served by this example of a scientific mystery still unsolved.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Clear color photographs of beekeepers, scientists, equipment, close-ups of bees, hives, etc., complement the text on every page. Youngsters concerned with the environment will find this meticulously researched title a valuable resource.”—School Library Journal