Following the Bloom: Across America with the Migratory Beekeepers

Following the Bloom by Douglas Whynott, is a collection of amusing anecdotes of colorful migratory beekeepers and their truck-transported bee-cargo. Doug Whynott hitches a ride and applies his professor quality bee knowledge to the open road. Funny stories, told in a lyrical prose, plus expert information--a book to read and reread and treasure! New England readers may even envision on off-beat winter vacation in the South Carolina sun--as part of the crew.

I'm sorry to learn that this book is not available anymore. I learned about Following the Bloom when I read an article about beekeeping in southern California written by Whynott for a San Diego weekly. I read it, loved it, and then ordered several more copies and took them to beekeepers meetings. This book covers an important time in beekeeping, when tracheal mites arrived in this country and when the Africanized bees crossed from Mexico into Texas. It was a difficult time in commercial beekeeping. The author also covered some of the greats in the industry, people such as Horace Bell. But Whynott goes beyond reporting too, and gets into the mystery of the bees, nature's most interesting creature. The review on the back cover of this book has it right, that the author excites our wonder. Anyone interested in bees or the people who keep them for a living should read this fine book. If you can find it. I'm still looking for copies.

As a new beekeeper - or rather, as someone who has a beehive on her property - I have tried this spring and summer to read everything I can about bees and beekeeping. Whynott's stories are fascinating, and the background information provided is helpful even to a hobbyist. High School biology teachers should put this on their students' summer reading list; I know the school I teach at will!