Synopses & Reviews
Now updated — your guide to becoming a successful backyard beekeeperInterested in raising honey bees? This friendly, practical guide presents a step-by-step approach to starting your own beehive, along with expert tips for maintaining a healthy colony. You get the latest on honey bee medication and treatments, harvesting and marketing your honey, and the impact the sudden disappearance of the honey bee has on our environment and economy.
To bee or not to bee? — understand the benefits of beekeeping and whether it's right for you
Build your first hive — gather the right equipment, obtain your bees, and transfer them safely to their new home
Get up-close and personal — see how to open and close the hive, inspect your bees at the right times, and know what to look for
Handle common problems — from swarming to robbing to pesticide poisoning, find simple solutions
Understand Colony Collapse Syndrome — learn what you can do to help save the honey bees
Gear up for the golden harvest — use the tools of the trade to extract honey, store it, and sell it
Praise for Beekeeping For Dummies
"The information a beginner needs to keep bees with confidence."
—Kim Flottum, Bee Culture Magazine
"A reader-friendly guide to beekeeping for novices or beginners."
—Dewey M. Caron, Professor of Entomology, University of Delaware
Open the book and find:
The various types of honey bees and the role each plays in a colony
Hands-on instruction in building a hive
How to keep bees healthier and more productive
Guidelines for all phases of honey production
New information on raising your own queens
Plenty of helpful, illustrative pictures to guide you
The safest ways to inspect and enjoy your bees
A Beekeeper's Calendar organized by climate zones
Synopsis
Beekeeping For Dummies, 2nd Edition reviews the tools of the trade, including complete instructions for building and maintaining beehives; offers detailed and easy-to-follow guidelines for all phases of honey production--including harvesting, bottling, packaging and marketing your honey; explores theories into the recent unexplained collapse of colonies and its environmental and economic on society; and provides new information on mites and diseases and recommend changes in bee medication and treatments.
Synopsis
'
The Beekeepers Bible is as much an ultimate guide to the practical essentials of beekeeping as it is a beautiful almanac to be read from cover to cover. Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one\'s own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Fully illustrated with how-to photography and unique etchings, any backyard enthusiast or gardener can confidently dive into beekeeping with this book in hand (or daydream about harvesting their own honey while relaxing in the comfort of an armchair).'
About the Author
'\'
Richard A. Jones is a writer, ecologist, and high-profile UK expert on insects, and is a contributor and scientific advisor to BBC Wildlife Magazine and New Scientist.
Sharon Sweeney-Lynch is a freelance writer for the Guardian, the Independent, the Times Higher Education Supplement, and various consumer magazines.\''
Table of Contents
Foreward xviiIntroduction 1
Part I: Falling in Love with a Bug 7
Chapter 1: To Bee or Not to Bee? 9
Chapter 2: Life Inside the Honey Bee Hive 21
Part II: Starting Your Adventure 45
Chapter 3: Alleviating Apprehensions and Making Decisions 47
Chapter 4: Basic Equipment for Beekeepers 59
Chapter 5: Obtaining and Installing Your Bees 91
Part III: Time for a Peek 109
Chapter 6: Opening Your Hive 111
Chapter 7: What to Expect when You're Inspecting 125
Chapter 8: Different Seasons, Different Activities 145
Part IV: Common Problems and Simple Solutions 163
Chapter 9: Anticipating and Preventing Potential Problems 165
Chapter 10: Colony Collapse Disorder 189
Chapter 11: Diseases and Remedies 197
Chapter 12: Honey Bee Pests 207
Chapter 13: Raising Your Own Queens 229
Part V: Sweet Rewards 247
Chapter 14: Getting Ready for the Golden Harvest 249
Chapter 15: Honey Harvest Day 263
Part VI: The Part of Tens 277
Chapter 16: (Almost) Ten Fun Things to Do with Bees 279
Chapter 17: Ten Frequently Asked Questions About Bee Behavior 305
Chapter 18: My Ten Favorite Honey Recipes 309
Appendix A: Helpful Resources 317
Appendix B: Beekeeper's Checklist 331
Glossary 335
Index 341