Honey Bee Hobbyist, 2nd Edition

Norman Gary received his PhD degree in Apiculture (the scientific study and management of honeybees), a very rare degree in the field of Entomology. After 3 years of postdoctoral research at Cornell, he joined the faculty at the University of California (Davis Campus) in 1962 as a professor and research scientist, a career that would last 32 years. Norman has published over 100 scientific papers and chapters in 4 books. Beginning in the ‘60s, he developed a secondary career in the entertainment world as a “bee wrangler,” training his favorite insect to perform in action scenes in movies, television shows, and commercials. He did bee scenes in 18 movies, working with about 40 well-known movie stars, appeared as a guest in more than 70 television shows, did 6 commercials with bees. Norman is also an accomplished musician, playing professionally for 45 years, including his own Dixieland band, the Beez Kneez Jazz Band. He holds two Guinness world records for bee stunts, invented a patented bee apparatus and developed the “Thriller Bee Show” that was performed at fairs, festivals, and other events. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, and 10 other professional organizations. Norman is currently retired, after raising two children with his wife in Citrus Heights, CA