A Year of Garden Bees & Bugs: 52 Stories of Intriguing Insects

A fascinating journey into the secret life of insects, with QR codes to video and audio to bring the creatures to life.

Just as birds have yearly rhythms, so do insects, bees, beetles, and butterflies. Wildlife experts Dominic Couzens and Gail Ashton discover 52 minibeasts from around the world, every week of the year.

They tell the story of what is happening week-by-week in the insect world, in our own backyards, and just outside our patio doors. We delve into the world of the lethal Sydney funnel-web spider in Australian gardens, the migratory mission of the Monarch butterfly in America, and the life of the backdoor scorpions in South Africa. Among the seasonal behavior, the authors have woven history and folkloric tales.

These brilliant stories are complemented by wonderful, commissioned illustrations that bring out the beauty of the entomological world. A QR code for each entry takes you to a video or audio file to further explore the habits of these intriguing creatures. A book for any nature lover to reveal the true wonder of our insect neighbors.

Dominic Couzens is a British author and journalist specializing in avian and natural history subjects. He contributes regularly to BBC Wildlife magazine and is a professional field trip guide. His critically acclaimed books include The Secret Lives of Garden Birds, The Secret Lives of British Birds, and The Secret Lives of Garden Wildlife. He is also the author of A Bird a Day and A Year of Birdsong. He lives in Dorset. Gail Ashton is a wildlife photographer and writer with a passion for entomology. She is the co-author of the book An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe. She lives in Hertfordshire.