Bees pollinate our crops, a key part of growing your own food, yet bee populations have been declining. In order to help our pollinator friends, many have turned to planting bee-friendly plants and placing bee waterers in their gardens. But if you are ready to take that next step and become a beekeeper, you'll want to make sure you are doing it right. These 5 books will help you learn what you need to do in order to successfully keep a hive and enjoy all the benefits from it, including collecting honey!
The Backyard Beekeeper, 4th Edition: An Absolute Beginners Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden
by Kim Flottum
Kim Flottum, the editor of Bee Culture magazine, has over a decade of experience in plant science, honey bee research and basic farming. In this book, Flottum gives expert advice and a comprehensive introduction to getting started with your own backyard hives. There are plenty of large, colorful photos and illustrations on nearly every page, making this book great for visual learners as well.
In this book, you'll learn how to set up and care for your own colonies including how to select the best location for your hives, nontoxic ways to care for your bees, swarm control, how to use top bar hives, how to harvest beehive products, collecting and using honey as well as how to keep your hive healthy. You'll also get tips on how to use your smoker the right way, pest management, how to provide consistent and abundant food for the hive and information for urban beekeepers.
The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses
by Richard Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch
Considered an ultimate guide to the practical essentials of beekeeping, this almanac style book contains history, a handbook to beekeeping as well as a cookbook. You'll find details about every aspect of beekeeping in this illustrated handbook, from how to safely manage your hives to harvesting the honey as well as ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Some of these ideas include instructions for making candles, soap, furniture polish and beauty products. There are also close to 100 honey-themed recipes, including honey scones.
Despite the veritable wealth of information, Jones and Sweeney-Lynch explain the science and society of bees in accessible language. It contains lore, facts, tips, and techniques that will also entertain you. This book will leave you feeling enthusiastic and confident about beekeeping.
Beginning Beekeeping: Everything You Need to Make Your Hive Thrive!
by Tanya Phillips
Tanya Phillips is owner of Bee Friendly Austin and manages up to 150 colonies. Her interest in bees started out as simple curiosity which grew into a passion and now teaches and does community outreach. This book offers a simple and straightforward approach, giving you the basics to get started with beekeeping. It also weighs the pros and cons of conventional and organic methods.
Full of colorful photographs, this guide will help teach you how to foster and maintain a healthy and productive hive. It contains methods for both conventional and organic beekeeping as well as information on how to troubleshoot the treat hive issues like swarming, pest control and other destructive hive conditions. You'll also learn how to create a self-sustaining hive that requires minimal intervention from the beekeeper.
The Beekeeper's Handbook, 4th Edition
by Diana Sammataro
This comprehensive and well-illustrated guide has been a reliable source of information for first-time beekeepers since 1973. Now in its 4th edition, this book provides step-by-step instructions for setting up an apiary, handling bees and working throughout the season to maintain a vibrant colony.
You'll find explanations on the various care options and techniques so that you can make the best choice for your own hives. Included in this latest edition is information on Colony Collapse Disorder, which has renewed the importance of small-scale beekeeping. This guide also includes regional overwintering protocols, handling and management procedures and how to control pests like African honey bees and bee mites. You'll also find coverage of new trends and changes in beekeeping including green IPM techniques and new laws for urban beekeeping.
Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture, 2nd Edition
by Ross Conrad
Ross Conrad learned his craft from world-renowned beekeeper, the late Charles Mraz. Conrad is a regular contributor to Bee Culture magazine and has taught organic beekeeping workshops and classes throughout North America for many years. This beautifully written and illustrated book provides information on an organic approach to beekeeping.
With Colony Collapse Disorder making headlines, chemical treatment of hives became standard practice to rid colonies of newly introduced pests. With pest resistance building, many have turned to a more natural and organic route. In this handbook, you'll learn about a holistic approach to beekeeping as well as the basics of bee biology and anatomy and how to identify and work with queens. This latest edition provides a new chapter on marketing for those who wish to sell hive products. Whether you are just getting started or an experienced apiculturist, this book provides a wealth of information.
Whether you are wanting to use conventional or organic methods, these books will arm you with plenty of knowledge so that you feel confident getting started with backyard beekeeping. So what are you waiting for? Let's get busy!