The Bees in Your Backyard provides an engaging introduction to the roughly 4,000 different bee species found in the United States and Canada, dispelling common myths about bees while offering essential tips for telling them apart in the field.
The book features more than 900 stunning color photos of the bees living all around us—in our gardens and parks, along nature trails, and in the wild spaces between. It describes their natural history, including where they live, how they gather food, their role as pollinators, and even how to attract them to your own backyard. Ideal for amateur naturalists and experts alike, it gives detailed accounts of every bee family and genus in North America, describing key identification features, distributions, diets, nesting habits, and more.
- Provides the most comprehensive and accessible guide to all bees in the United States and Canada
- Features more than 900 full-color photos
- Offers helpful identification tips and pointers for studying bees
- Includes a full chapter on how to attract bees to your backyard
Awards and Recognition
- Winner of the 2017 PROSE Award in Single Volume Reference/Science, Association of American Publishers
"The ultimate bee book for bee enthusiasts and experts alike."—Bookseller Buyer's Guide
"[A] well-written, informative and beautifully photographed reference on North America's bees."—The Chronicle Herald
"If you have ever asked, ‘what kind of bee is that?' The Bees in Your Backyard is the book for you. It is a must-have for bee lovers of all stripes."—Wild about Ants blog
"[A]s folks become more interested in bees, it seemed logical to Wilson and fellow bee biologist Olivia Messinger Carril that people should be more informed as well. The result is their new guide, The Bees in Your Backyard, which offers an introduction to a world of bees that is mostly hidden to people who aren't entomologists."—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post
"This book helps identify the bees that you see. It has more than 900 photos of all of the kinds of bees you'll find, plus the biology of all of the bees included, and how to provide both food and habitat for them. . . . This is probably the best reference on all of the bees in your backyard you'll find, and the price is right."—Bee Culture
"The moment you open this lusciously illustrated new offering from Princeton University Press by Joseph Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril, you will be captivated by magnificent photos and engaging captions that delight and fascinate. But more than that, you will learn just how beautiful and unexpected is this mightily important group of insects, and how complex and diverse lives. . . . Wilson and Carril's breathtaking guide introduces you to the roughly 4000 North American bee species without losing the reader through ‘information overload'. . . . One of the loveliest things about The Bees in Your Backyard is the truly stunning photography. This, paired with expertly chosen glossy paper and careful printing, produces images so satisfyingly sharp, colorful, clear, and precise that you can almost see each bee's personality."—Cathy Taibbi, Examiner.com
"As the interest in native bees has grown, resources to learn about them have been developed, and The Bees in Your Backyard is one of the best yet. . . . This is an awe-inspiring and welcome addition to the natural history literature in North America. It is highly recommended for gardeners, naturalists, land managers, and anyone with an interest in these beautiful and hugely beneficial creatures."—Dan R. Kunkle, Wildlife Activist
"This book is absolutely filled with more than 900 spectacular color photographs of all types of bees, from honeybees to bumblebees to giant carpenter bees. . . . [T]his fascinating book is certainly well worth reading and adding to your library of outdoor reference guidebooks."—The Blade
"Comprehensive."—Houston Chronicle
"This is the best general guide to bees this reviewer has seen."—P.K. Lago, Choice
"A most splendid present for anyone who is interested in conservation, or for you to read in the winter, and enjoy."—An Beachaire
"Students as well as interested amateurs, will learn much from this excellent book, which though written by experts, presents a plethora of information in a style which is both engaging and easy to read."—Buzz about Bees
"The authors have produced a valuable and easy-to-read book. . . . The book is arranged in a highly useful format that is suitable for the beginner as well as the seasoned entomologist. The book is highly recommended as a vehicle for bee awareness and an introduction to the most common families in the United States and Canada."—Howard O. Clark, Jr., Western North American Naturalist
"The Bees in Your Backyard is an easy-to-use and entertaining reference that can help you identify bees you might find cruising around your flowers."—American Gardener
"This book includes excellent photography and uses basic language explaining technical terms; it is not an identification guide but gives detailed descriptions of ecology for each genus, something not previously covered before. The book provides the first comprehensive and user friendly guide to North American bees, which is suitable for people wanting an introduction or to expand their knowledge of different bee families. In particular those interested in developing their knowledge and skills of solitary bees will find this book incredibly useful. You do not have to live in North America to find this book of interest as we share many bee families. A worthy addition to anyone's collection."—Nikki Gammans, British Journal of Entomology and Natural History
"This book introduces you to the bees you're likely to find nearby. It has 900 color photos to help you identify them. It’s also packed with useful information, including pollination habits and how to attract different species to your yard."—Matt Miller, Cool Green Science
"This richly illustrated volume provides a detailed introduction to the lives of bees, then presents the six families of bees found here. Charts and detailed maps show their size, their range, and their active times of the year within different regions of the continent. Hundreds of close-up photos present fascinating details of many of the different kinds of bees."—Mark Schumacher, ARBA
"The Bees in Your Backyard provides an engaging introduction to the roughly 4,000 bee species found in the United States and Canada, dispelling common myths about native solitary bees while offering essential tips for telling them apart. The book features more than 900 stunning color photos of bees living all around us. . . . There is even a full chapter on how to attract them to your backyard. . . . This book provides the most comprehensive and accessible guide to all bees found in the United States and Canada."—Melanie M. Kirby, Mother Earth News
"The volume is rich in information, logically put together, and full of wonderful pictures. . . . This valuable publication should adorn the bookshelves of gardeners, professional melittologists, urban naturalists, and elementary school students, and should be seen as indispensable for gaining a deeper understanding of the wild ecology of their backyards."—Marc W. Cadotte, Quarterly Review of Biology
"The decline of bees in recent years has led to a growing awareness of the importance of these insects. The Bees in Your Backyard provides a great introduction to the bees of North America and an invaluable aid to anyone learning to differentiate the various kinds. I know of no other book for general readers that describes all the genera to this extent."—Sheila Colla, coauthor of Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide
"This book provides an easy-to-understand guide to the thousands of bees found in North America. The Bees in Your Backyard is a great place for novice bee enthusiasts to start and an exceptional reference for experts."—Kelly Allin, contributor to The Bee: A Natural History
