Reviews

Toward Saving the Honeybee by Gunther Hauk

jessreadthis's review

4.0

I really liked Hauk's message in this book. I completely agree with his views on the detriment to the bees that humans have done with their "meddling" and disrespect of these creatures. These beautiful little creatures are fragile and rather than beekeep per se, an approach of bee guardianship seems to be one of love, respect, and regard for their innate behavior. His disdain of queen rearing for profit and the exploitation of the bees is one I respect and agree with, though this is an unpopular opinion I'm sure with many beekeepers. Hank's proposition that an approach of providing a comfortable home with natural materials, allowing bees the nourishment of honey rather than stealing it and giving them sugar water which is harder to digest, permitting the autonomous creation of honeycomb rather than plastic preformed variations, and respect of the colony as an organism- a whole with a hive mind are all soap box topics for me. Loved it. I also appreciated his views on meat consumption and the poor conditions of the places that house these animals. As Hauk says, "The word animal is a derivative of the Greek word anima, which also means 'soul'". My only eyebrow raise was his position on germ theory. As a healthcare professional, I politely disagree.
-disclaimer- My husband and I have several hives. We do this for pleasure, learning, and giving back to the environment. I view raising and caring for bees for the sole purpose of honey is horrific and contributing to the decline of the population. So I went into reading this book with a biased, agreeable mind to Hauk's views on saving the honeybee.