It’s More Than Just Dirt is the second Project Book in the Exploring the World of Plants and Soils series. This Project Book looks at environmental and internal factors that affect plant growth. It is written to interest youth aged 12 to 14.

Stems and Stamens is the first Project Book in the Exploring the World of Plants and Soils series. This Project Book looks at the composition of plants, the functions of individual plant parts, plant life cycles, and the many ways plants reproduce themselves. It is written to interest youth ages 12 to 14.

Sprouting Out and Growing Up is the second Project Book in the Exploring the World of Plants and Soils series. This Project Book looks at environmental and internal factors that affect plant growth. It is written to interest youth aged 12 to 14.

Royalty fighting to the death, troves of golden treasure, thousands of slaves building massive edifices under the direction of a queen, and daring quests for the “food of the gods”; such mesmerizing tales of valor and adventure originate not from medieval Europe, ancient Greece, or the pyramids of Egypt but instead derive from a seemingly inconspicuous yet important insect: the honey bee. Honey bees are complex, fascinating insects.

To the 4-H Leader: The honey bee project (Books 1 - 4) is intended to teach young people the basic biology and behavior of honey bees in addition to hands-on beekeeping management skills. The honey bee project books begin with basic honey bee and insect information (junior level) and advance to instruction on how to rear honey bee colonies and extract honey (senior level). These project books are intended to provide in-depth information related to honey bee management, yet they are written for the amateur beekeeper, who may or may not have previous experience in rearing honey bees.

One lazy afternoon you find yourself looking across a field of flowers. The sun is warm and the breeze rustles through the grasses beneath your feet. Suddenly, at the edge of the field you see a lone figure hunched over a white box. The person is dressed from head to toe in a white, spaceman-looking jumpsuit. You begin to get nervous as you peer closer and notice a helmet covering his head. His gloved hands hold a strange-looking instrument spewing smoke from some internal, smoldering fire. You do not know it, but you are about to witness a robbery by this alien creature. Should you call the police? Should you take matters into your own hands? No! Instead, grab a container and prepare to get some honey! There’s a beekeeper hard at work!

With our understanding of honey bee biology and colony structure, we can begin to investigate the process of rearing bees for ourselves. To begin, we need a good understanding of the equipment we will need and how to use it. We will need to know the parts of the beehive and how to assemble them properly to facilitate bee rearing and honey production. Finally, we will need to handle bees within the hive. The Honey bee Project Book 2 provides the 4-H member with specific information about beekeeping, bee handling, and hive inspection.

Welcome to the 4-H Entomology Project. It will introduce you to many new and exciting experiences. The Entomology Project is fun; it may help you prepare for the study of insects as your life’s work, or help you learn how important insects are in the lives of everyone.