With passion, humor, and a wealth of knowledge, Hilary Kearney — veteran beekeeper, swarm catcher, and owner of Girl Next Door Honey — brings readers into the heart of the hive for an inside look at the fascinating lives of honey bees. From couches to speedboats, Hilary Kearney recounts some of her most memorable swarm-catching moments in thrilling detail. Kearney offers an abundance of information and insight into the world of bees, from mating to hive construction to the ascent of a new queen, for armchair enthusiasts and veteran beekeepers alike. Like Where’s Waldo? (but with bees!), the book includes 48 fold-out photographic challenges that test readers’ skill at finding the queen among hundreds of hive residents. 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.
