1. Introduction
   1. What is this book about, and what it isn’t
   2. Bee debris - what is it, where does it come from and why does it matter?
   3. Book structure
   4. Lessons from a lockdown hobby
   5. Teaching beekeeping in high schools
   6. Getting ready for home study
2. Methods Used
   1. Repeat photo point recording
   2. Measuring the weight of debris
   3. Counting parts from the debris
   4. Microscopy to identify pollen and other things
3. Data Visualisation of Bee Debris
   1. Debris weight
   2. Debris heat maps
   3. Bee hairs
   4. Chalkbrood cysts
   5. Varroa mites
   6. Minimum, maximum and mean temperatures in The Scottish Borders
4. Debris Tells The Tale
   1. Nearly a gold dance
   2. Mites and textiles in the debris
   3. Spring growth
   4. Rapid growth
   5. Moths and microplastics
   6. A brood gap in June
   7. Changing debris and changing methods
   8. Drone culling
   9. Shorter day length
   10. Removing or adding stores
   11. More fungi
   12. Return of the mites
5. Conclusion

• Bibliography

Reviewed by Lesley Jacques, NDB. Author of WHERE DO THE BEES GO? An exploration of key UK forage species for pollinators

Just as the contents of someone’s waste bin could reveal both interesting and possibly obscure facts about their everyday life, so the debris that falls from a honey bee colony provides a similar indicator of the activity going on above. And in a new perspective for most beekeepers, Ray Baxter has carried out a detailed analysis of the material falling onto the inspection board, revealing fascinating patterns and behaviours that we would not see through momentary inspections alone.

In the first instance, the observations were simple ones intended to share with his students – the total weight of detritus produced over specific sections of the inspection board; bee parts, pollen types, evidence of pests and pathogens such as chalkbrood mummies and expelled varroa mites. But this quickly turned into a more detailed study from which he details his learning journey with humour and humility.

Dividing the inspection board into evenly spaces divisions which correlate with the frame spacing, the author has produced a fascinating array of data which visually maps the life of the colony - the spring expansion, peak activity in the summer and gradual contraction toward the latter part of the active season. Month by month, Baxter documents his finds, ranging from organic bee-produced debris, the outfall from ongoing life cycles as well as some more unexpected finds. The discovery of the consistent presence of man-made fibres – micro plastics – raises important questions about the extent to which human activity has permeated the colony in many ways that we may yet be wholly unaware of. At each stage, he records and explains the presence (or in some cases, absence) of a vast number of different materials, each of which tells part of the story of the thriving colony.

In his conclusions, the author considers stressors on the colony, which we know to be a bad thing, but continue to perpetuate by continually pulling the brood nest apart for inspections. This must be deeply invasive for the colony and is it necessary? While most would agree the ‘bottom-up’ approach cannot replace many aspects of top-down inspections, it is certainly a complementary approach and especially valuable during the winter months where it can provide an insight into the winter-functioning of the honey bee colony that we may not otherwise have and in providing a holistic view of the colony dynamics.

The author is careful to state that this is not a definitive guide – rather (in his own words) a month-by-month diary with pictorial illustrations and commentary. And indeed, the work is beautifully and amply illustrated with clear and informative diagrams, photographs and photomicrographs.

For one who has previously used the inspection tray in a purely functional capacity, this book has piqued my interest. It is nicely written and those at all experience levels will find some learning and food for thought within its pages.