The Quest for the Perfect Hive: A History of Innovation in Bee Culture

Gene Kritsky offers a concise, beautifully illustrated history of beekeeping, tracing the evolution of hive design from ancient Egypt to the present.

The book contends that beekeeping's long history may in fact contain clues to help beekeepers fight the decline in honey bee numbers.

Indeed, while we have sequenced the honey bee genome, we still keep our bees in hives that have changed little during the past century.

If beekeeping is to survive, Kritsky argues, we must start inventing again.

We must find the perfect hive for our times.