Beekeeping for Beginners
This book turned out to be an unexpected surprise. I've read other beekeeping books geared towards beginners & haven't been thrilled with the majority of them. This slender unassuming book contains all the basics one needs to know to get started keeping bees. There is no self promotion or fluff. No bee porn. Just the facts from a backyard beekeeper who, from my understanding prefers to use more natural or organic methods vs. chemical or synthetic methods to keep her bees. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the author condones traditional methods.
The book is straightforward, clear, & concise. The author starts with the benefits of beekeeping, business opportunities, challenges & legalities. She next explains how bees behave so that you as a beekeeper have a better understanding of their needs. Chapter 3 focuses on three types of hives: Langstroth, Top Bar, & Warre. She discusses the pros & cons of each hive as well as the pros & cons of buying or building your own, along with her list of must have beekeeping tools & supplies. In Chapter 4 she focuses on the different types of bees. Just like in her chapter on the different hives, she discusses the pros & cons of the different types of bees & even helps the reader learn how to create their own honeybee haven/garden. Chapter 5 is about the big day - bringing the bees home. How to prepare for the big day, how to release them & feed them. Chapter 6 discusses what you need to do to properly inspect your hive. Chapter 7 breaks down what to expect during each season for one year. Chapter 8 is what we are all waiting for, honey! Here we learn what honey is, how it is made, how to harvest both the honey & the wax, & the equipment required. Chapter 9 is geared towards helping you keep your hive healthy. She discusses why bees get sick, how to tell when you have a sick hive, how to treat the hive, & which pests you need to watch out for. The final chapter is about the future of the newbies bees. Getting another hive (or not), swarming, & cleaning.
The end of the book lists beekeeping resources, a glossary, references, & an index.
As a small eco farmer, I really found this book to be straight forward & incredibly helpful. We have been wanting bees long before we started farming. Farming is an incredible amount of work. This is the main reason we still do not have bees after more than a decade of organic farming. The idea of taking on yet another responsibility is daunting. However, we still hope to have bees in our future (hence our desire to keep reading about beekeeping). In the meantime, we plant plenty of organic treats for our local pollinators to enjoy.
If you are thinking about getting into beekeeping, this book is well worth your time.
This book turned out to be an unexpected surprise. I've read other beekeeping books geared towards beginners & haven't been thrilled with the majority of them. This slender unassuming book contains all the basics one needs to know to get started keeping bees. There is no self promotion or fluff. No bee porn. Just the facts from a backyard beekeeper who, from my understanding prefers to use more natural or organic methods vs. chemical or synthetic methods to keep her bees. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the author condones traditional methods.
The book is straightforward, clear, & concise. The author starts with the benefits of beekeeping, business opportunities, challenges & legalities. She next explains how bees behave so that you as a beekeeper have a better understanding of their needs. Chapter 3 focuses on three types of hives: Langstroth, Top Bar, & Warre. She discusses the pros & cons of each hive as well as the pros & cons of buying or building your own, along with her list of must have beekeeping tools & supplies. In Chapter 4 she focuses on the different types of bees. Just like in her chapter on the different hives, she discusses the pros & cons of the different types of bees & even helps the reader learn how to create their own honeybee haven/garden. Chapter 5 is about the big day - bringing the bees home. How to prepare for the big day, how to release them & feed them. Chapter 6 discusses what you need to do to properly inspect your hive. Chapter 7 breaks down what to expect during each season for one year. Chapter 8 is what we are all waiting for, honey! Here we learn what honey is, how it is made, how to harvest both the honey & the wax, & the equipment required. Chapter 9 is geared towards helping you keep your hive healthy. She discusses why bees get sick, how to tell when you have a sick hive, how to treat the hive, & which pests you need to watch out for. The final chapter is about the future of the newbies bees. Getting another hive (or not), swarming, & cleaning.
The end of the book lists beekeeping resources, a glossary, references, & an index.
As a small eco farmer, I really found this book to be straight forward & incredibly helpful. We have been wanting bees long before we started farming. Farming is an incredible amount of work. This is the main reason we still do not have bees after more than a decade of organic farming. The idea of taking on yet another responsibility is daunting. However, we still hope to have bees in our future (hence our desire to keep reading about beekeeping). In the meantime, we plant plenty of organic treats for our local pollinators to enjoy.
If you are thinking about getting into beekeeping, this book is well worth your time.
You may also like:
 |  |
Book Corner Quick Links
Links to the books I've read & reviewed for your convenience!
Links to the books I've read & reviewed for your convenience!
- Beekeeping For Beginners How To Raise Your First Bee Colonies
- Dreamland (YA edition): The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
- Yoga For Better Sleep
- Everyday Healing with Essential Oils
- Buzz Sting Bite Why We Need Insects
- National Geographic Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness
- Coffee House Knits
- Feeding You Lies
- Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life
- Breakfast The Most Important Book About The Best Meal Of The Day
- Complete Wellness Enjoy Long-Lasting Health and Well-Being
- The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Beyond
- The Complete Guide To Adaptogens From Ashwagandaha to Rhodiola, Medicinal Herbs That Transform and Heal
- Beginning Beekeeping
- Before The Evolution and Future of Processed Food
- The Psychobiotic Revolution
- Simple & Natural Soapmaking: Create 100% Pure and Beautiful Soaps with The Nerdy Farm Wife’s Easy Recipes and Techniques
- The Flower Book
- The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide: Over 250 Recipes for Natural Wholesome Aromatherapy
- The Gut Makeover: 4 Weeks to Nourish Your Gut, Revolutionize Your Health, and Lose Weight
- The Field Guide To Pregnancy
- 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home: A Nerdy Farm Wife's All-Natural DIY Projects Using Commonly Found Herbs, Flowers & Other Plants
- The Chicken Health Handbook
- Chickens In Your Backyard: A Beginners Guide
- The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health: More Than 200 New Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for Delicious and Nutrient-Rich Dishes
- The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits
- The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle over Food Rights
- The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden or Market
- Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty
- The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands
- Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles
- Sleeping Naked Is Green
- Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting
- Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything
- Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World
- Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More
- Healing Herbs: A Beginner's Guide To Identifying, Foraging, and Using Medicinal Plants
- The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook
- The Virgin Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Better Fast
- Flip Dolls & Other Toys That Zip, Stack, Hide, Grab & Go
- Healthy at Home: Get Well and Stay Well Without Prescriptions
- Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth
- Integrative Wellness Rules: A Simple Guide to Healthy Living
- Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
- How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen
- The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days
- The Easy Organizer: 365 Tips for Conquering Clutter
- The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food
- Probiotics For Dummies
- Beyond Sugar Shock: The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get Slimmer, Sexier & Sweeter
- Small Business For Dummies
- Starting An Etsy Business For Dummies
- Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids
- The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted
- A Woman's Guide to a Healthy Stomach: Taking Control of Your Digestive Health
- Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind
- Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It
- Terra Madre: Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities
- The Hundred Year Diet: America's Voracious Appetite For Losing Weight
- Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream
- Felties: How to Make 18 Cute and Fuzzy Friends from Felt
- Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own
- Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Small Indulgences
RSS Feed