Bees : a natural history / Christopher O'Toole, honorary research associate, Hope Entomological Collections, Oxford University Museum of Natural History ; featuring photographs by Edward Ross.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

What are Bees? The wasp inheritance ; The business of being a bee -- The Many Ways of Being a Bee. Solitary bees ; Social bees ; The male of the species -- Bees and Flowering Plants. The pollination market ; Squash bees and other pollen specialists ; Bees and orchids -- Bees and Other Animals. The enemies of bees ; The conservation and management of bees ; Bees and people ; Bees in folklore ; Bees in folk and modern medicine ; Bee projects: becoming a backyard bee scientist.

The vital role of bees in human ecology is underlined by the estimate that every third mouthful of human food is dependent on the pollinating services of bees.

"The vital role of bees in human ecology is underlined by the estimate that every third mouthful of human food is dependent on the pollinating services of bees. Only recently have biologists discovered that human survival is inextricably linked to the survival of insects, specifically, bees. Today the 16-20,000 species of bee continue to play vital roles in human ecology. We survive only by grace of the life-sustaining network of bee-plant relationships. 'Bees' immerses readers in the world of a group of insects whose diversity of form and behavior is eloquent testimony to the fine-tuning of natural selection ... Bees can be found throughout history in roles poetic and military, in medicine and agriculture, in the kitchen and in the kit of a traditional healer. They have played a bigger role in human existence than is often recognized."--Publisher's description.