Book "Le api" - Contessi

The book deals with the subject in a rigorous and exhaustive manner and is richly illustrated. It systematically deals with general issues concerning bee biology and ethology, as well as with issues related to beekeeping and the knowledge of bee products. The issues are explained in a rigorous and exhaustive manner and accompanied by an extensive iconographic apparatus (271 pictures and several tables). The new edition is characterized by an update of biological issues, especially those concerning social physiology, whose knowledge has dramatically developed in recent years and in the future may lead to significant changes, including in beekeeping techniques. The parts dealing with flowers and bee health have been updated too, with an actual rewriting of the corresponding chapters. The book is divided into three parts. The first one deals with biological aspects, including systems, morphology, anatomy, development, tasks, social physiology, raw materials, flowers, relationship with the environment and the main bee health issues. The second part is about beekeeping techniques and deals with beekeeping materials and operations, including artificial swarming and queen breeding. Finally, the third part deals with bee products and illustrates the methods of production, packaging and marketing of honey, pollen, royal jelly, wax, propolis, venom and some by-products. The book is aimed at university students who must study in-depth the biology of bees and beekeeping techniques, beekeepers who want to update their knowledge (even professional ones), those who want to approach the world of bees to become beekeepers and, finally, those who, fascinated by world around them, intend to know bees better as one on the few contacts between man and the parallel universe of insects. The author: Alberto Contessi is a biologist (he studied with Prof. Giorgio Celli), specialized in phytopathology and an expert on foodstuff insects. He is a beekeeper, too, and has been dealing with beekeeping for several years in its organizational, educational, scientific and promotional issues.