Apiculture (beekeeping) Books

Book SynopsisThe perfect set of books for any beekeeper: a practical guide to setting up a hive, written by a best-selling expert on the subject, together with a gorgeous guide to using and cooking with honey.

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Book SynopsisBeekeeping is surprisingly easy; the bees are the ones that do all the hard work. In Bees & Honey, Rachel de Thample tells you everything you need to know about setting up a hive in both rural and urban locations, caring for happy and healthy bees and harvesting golden pots of honey for use in your kitchen.This practical handbook will enable you to establish a colony of honeybees and understand exactly what is going on inside the hive. You'll be guided through the bee's year month-by-month, and be given instructions for sustainably harvesting the products of their hard work. And once you have retrieved your first pot of delicious honey, there are recipes for cakes and buns, sauces and marinades, and drinks and tonics, as well as some creative ideas for using the beeswax and propolis.With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and plenty of clear step-by-step photography, this book will be the only one you ever need on the art of keeping bees.

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Book SynopsisThe fast and easy way to start and maintain a hive Beekeeping For Dummies is a practical, step-by-step beginner''s guide to beekeeping. It gives you plain-English guidance on everything you need to know to start your own beehive, from buying the right equipment, sourcing bees, and locating your hive to maintaining a healthy colony and harvesting honey. Plus, you''ll get the latest information on the causes and effects of bee disease, colony collapse disorder, and the impact the sudden disappearance of the honeybee has on our environment and economy. Here, you''ll get trusted information on beekeeping in the UK, specifically written to address climate, buying equipment, locating hives, the local impact of colony collapse disorder and ways to avoid or minimise the risk to your hive, seasonal beekeeping tasks, local beekeeping associations, and updated content on urban beekeeping. Understand the anatomy of your bees Learn techniques andTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 How This Book Is Organised 2 Part I: Getting Hooked on Honey Bees 2 Part II: Starting Your Adventure 2 Part III: Looking Inside Your Hive 3 Part IV: Common Problems and Simple Solutions 3 Part V: Sweet Rewards 4 Part VI: The Part of Tens 4 Icons Used in This Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part I: Getting Hooked on Honey Bees 7 Chapter 1: To Bee or Not to Bee? 9 Discovering the Benefits of Beekeeping 10 Harvesting liquid gold: Honey 11 Bees as pollinators: Their vital role in ensuring our food supply 11 Helping the bees; helping the environment 13 Passing on your knowledge 13 Good for your wellbeing; good for your health 13 Determining Your Beekeeping Potential 15 Environmental considerations 15 Being responsible and considering others 16 Costs and equipment 16 Time and commitment 17 Beekeeper personality traits 17 Overcoming Fear of Stings 17 Knowing what to do if you’re stung 19 Building up a tolerance 19 Watching for allergic reactions 20 Chapter 2: Life Inside the Honey Bee Hive 21 Basic Body Parts 21 Skeleton 22 Head 22 Thorax 24 Abdomen 25 The Amazing Language of Bees 25 Pheromones 25 Shall we dance? 26 Dividing Honey Bees into Three Castes 27 Her majesty, the queen 27 The industrious little worker bee 30 The woeful drone 34 The Honey Bee Life-Cycle 35 Egg 36 Larva 37 Pupa 37 Part II: Starting Your Adventure 41 Chapter 3: Locating Your Hive 43 Getting Over ‘Buzz Off!’: Consulting Family and Neighbours 43 Location, Location, Location: Where to Keep Your Hives 45 Providing for your thirsty bees 47 Understanding why your honey varies in colour and flavour 49 Knowing When to Start Your Adventure 50 Chapter 4: Stocking Up on Basic Beekeeping Equipment 51 Finding Out about the Modified National Hive 52 Knowing the Basic Parts of the Hive 53 Hive stand 54 Floor 55 Entrance block 55 Brood chamber 56 Queen excluder 58 Super 58 Frames 59 Foundation 61 Crown board 65 Roof 66 Ordering Hive Parts 66 Preparing for assembly 67 Adding on Feeders 68 Miller and Ashforth rapid feeders 68 Bucket feeder 69 Frame feeder 71 Stocking Up on Your Personal Beekeeping Equipment 72 Smoker 72 Hive tool 73 Covering Up with Bee-Proof Clothing 74 Veils 74 Gloves 75 Really Helpful Accessories 76 Elevated hive stand 76 Frame rest 78 Bee brush 78 Other necessities 79 Chapter 5: Obtaining and Hiving Your Bees 81 Determining the Kind of Bee You Want 81 Deciding How to Obtain Your Initial Bee Colony 83 Picking a reputable bee supplier 84 Deciding when to place your order 84 Buying a nucleus colony 85 Transferring your nucleus to a hive 86 Purchasing an established colony 87 Capturing a wild swarm of bees 88 Ordering package bees 88 Meeting and Greeting: The Day Your Bees Arrive 89 Bringing home your bees 90 Feeding your bees 90 Buzzing with Excitement: Putting Your Bees into the Hive 91 Part III: Looking Inside Your Hive 97 Chapter 6: Opening Your Hive 99 Setting an Inspection Schedule 99 Preparing to Visit Your Hive 100 Making ‘non-scents’ a part of personal hygiene 101 Getting dressed up and ready to go 101 Lighting your smoker 102 Opening the Hive 104 Removing the crown board 106 The Hive’s Open! Now What? 107 Chapter 7: What to Look for when You’re Inspecting 109 Exploring Basic Inspection Techniques: Examining a Full Colony 109 Removing the first frame 110 Working your way through the hive 112 Holding up frames for inspection 112 Understanding what to look for every time 113 Replacing frames 117 Closing the hive 118 Establishing a Colony from a Nucleus 119 Managing your nucleus 119 Starting your Colony with a Package of Bees 121 Checking in: A week after hiving your bees 121 The second and third weeks 124 Weeks four to eight 125 Chapter 8: Your Work throughout the Seasons 129 Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer 129 Your summer to-do list 130 Your summer time commitment 130 Falling Leaves Point to Autumn Tasks 131 Your autumn to-do list 131 Making one hive from two 133 Your autumn time commitment 134 Clustering in a Winter Wonderland 134 Your winter to-do list 135 Your winter time commitment 136 Spring Is in the Air: Starting Your Second Season 137 Your spring to-do list 137 Making two hives from one 138 Your spring time commitment 140 Administering spring medication 141 Reversing hive bodies 141 Part IV: Common Problems and Simple Solutions 145 Chapter 9: Heading Off Potential Problems 147 Avoiding Absconding 147 Swarming 148 Absconding 156 Where Did the Queen Go? 157 Letting nature take its course 157 Ordering a replacement queen 158 Introducing a new queen to the hive 158 Avoiding Chilled Brood 160 Dealing with the Dreaded Robbing Frenzies 161 Knowing the difference between normal and abnormal (robbing) behaviour 161 Putting a stop to a robbing attack 162 Preventing robbing in the first place 162 Ridding Your Hive of the Laying Worker Phenomenon 163 How to know if you have laying workers 163 Getting rid of laying workers 164 Preventing Pesticide Poisoning 166 Chapter 10: Treating Diseases and Considering Colony Collapse Disorder 169 Medicating when Necessary 170 Knowing the Big Six Bee Diseases 170 American foulbrood (AFB) 171 European foulbrood (EFB) 172 Nosema 172 Chalkbrood 173 Sacbrood 174 Stonebrood 174 A handy chart 174 Shedding Some Light on Colony Collapse Disorder and Vanishing Hives 177 Unlocking the mystery of the Mary Celeste hives 177 Discovering more about CCD 178 Exploring Potential Causes of CCD 179 The mobile phone theory 179 Pollinating insect research 179 A Final Word 181 Chapter 11: Buzz Off! Dealing with Honey Bee Pests 183 Preventing Parasitic Mites 183 Varroa mites 183 Controlling Varroa the natural way 192 Acarine (Tracheal mites) 193 Wax Moths 196 Ants, Ants and More Ants 197 Keeping Out Mice 198 Dealing with Birds that Have a Taste for Bees 199 Pest Control in a Nutshell 199 Chapter 12: Raising Your Own Queens 201 Why Raising Queens Makes You Proud 201 Accentuating the Positive: Choosing Good Traits 202 What Makes a Queen a Queen 204 Buzzing with love: Queen mating 205 Creating Demand: Making a Queenless Nuc 206 Queen Rearing: The Miller Method 207 Using an Artificial Swarm to Raise Queens 211 The Doolittle Method: Grafting 212 Tools and equipment 212 How it’s done 214 Trying Out the Jenter System 216 How it’s done 216 Providing nuptial housing 219 Finding a Home for Your Queens 220 Part V: Sweet Rewards 223 Chapter 13: Getting Ready for the Golden Harvest 225 Choosing Extracted, Comb, Chunk or Soft-Set Honey 226 Using the Right Equipment for the Job 228 Honey extractors 228 Uncapping knife 229 Honey strainers 229 Other handy gadgets for extracting honey 230 Comb honey equipment 233 Honey containers 233 Planning Your Honey Harvest Set-Up 233 Labelling and Selling Your Honey 235 Creating an attractive label 235 Finding places to market your honey 237 Chapter 14: Honey, I’m Home: Harvest Time 239 Knowing When to Harvest 240 Getting the Bees Out of the Honey Supers 241 Shakin’ ’em out 242 Using a bee escape 242 Fume board and bee repellent 244 Food of the Gods: Honey Extraction 246 Cleaning Up after Extracting 249 Controlling wax moths 249 Harvesting wax 250 Part VI: The Part of Tens 253 Chapter 15: Ten Fun Things to Do with Bees 255 Starting an Observation Hive 255 Planting Flowers for Your Bees 257 Brewing Mead: The Nectar of the Gods 259 Getting Creative with Propolis 262 Propolis tincture 263 Propolis ointment 263 Making Candles and Polish from Beeswax 263 Beeswax candles 264 Beeswax furniture polish 264 Beauty and the Bees 265 Beeswax lip balm 265 Beeswax and olive oil salve 265 Getting up Close with a Microscope 266 Chapter 16: Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Bee Behaviour 267 Chapter 17: Ten Delicious Honey Recipes 271 Appendix A: Helpful Resources 279 Honey Bee Websites 279 Apiservices 279 Bee Master Forum 279 BeeHoo 280 British Beekeepers Association 280 Bush Farm 280 Cornwall Honey 280 David A. Cushman 280 The Beespace 281 Vita (Europe) 281 Bee Organisations and Conferences 281 Apimondia: International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations 281 The BBKA Spring Convention 282 Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) 282 Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) 282 International Bee Research Association 283 The National Bee Unit of the Central Science Laboratory 283 The National Honey Show 283 The National Farmers Union 284 Bee Journals and Magazines 284 American Bee Journal 284 BBKA News 284 Bee Craft 285 Bee Culture 285 The Beekeepers Quarterly 285 Bee World 285 Beekeeping Supplies and Equipment 285 The Bee Shop 286 B. J. Sherriff 286 Brunel Microscopes Ltd 286 Compak 287 Giordan 287 Maisemore Apiaries Ltd 288 Modern Beekeeping 288 National Bee Supplies 288 Swienty Beekeeping Equipment 289 E. H. Thorne 289 Appendix B: Glossary 291 Index 297

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Book SynopsisPacked with practical and professional advice, this beautiful hardback guide is an invaluable companion for anyone wanting to try their hand at keeping bees, beautifully illustrated in full-colour. Today, more than ever, we are aware of how much bees are an integral part of our environment, in their role as a primary pollinator. They are increasingly threatened and we fail to attend to their wellbeing at our peril. However, by keeping your own honeybees you can contribute to their survival as well as ensuring a constant supply of tasty, nutritious honey. This handy guide is packed with practical and professional advice, telling you all you need to know about this richly rewarding hobby. Find out everything from choosing a breed and positioning of your hive to maintaining a healthy colony at all times of year. You can also learn about extracting honey and other products such as royal jelly and propolis, and how to prevent and control bee diseases. Topi

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Book SynopsisPeople with a beginner''s interest in bees are often disturbed to learn that their bees will die without some form of varroa mite control. I was, and some of mine did. Yet they didn''t all perish. Data that I obtained from the Bee Informed Partnership for my region showed that the average overwintering survival rate for the bees of non-migratory beekeepers, even with chemical mite control, is around half. Luck, intuition, skepticism, thrift, research, the observations of others, and the help of generous online mentors has led me to develop a method that has allowed me to overwinter more than two thirds of my colonies consistently without chemical mite control. I have written this book to offer an alternative to traditional methods that have not been working for sustainable beekeeping. This book is meant to save you money and, increase your chances of having a surplus of bees in the spring.Adrian Quiney RN BSN

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Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive beekeeping resource ever published.This ultimate guide covers all the practical essentials and will teach you everything about caring for bees and safe hive management, with clear instructions and step-by-step illustrations. It also contains a wealth of information about the culinary, medicinal, cosmetic and domestic uses of honey, beeswax and pollen.So much more than just a practical handbook, this beautiful almanac is also a fascinating read, overflowing with charming bee trivia, fascinating folklore, an engaging history of beekeeping and much more besides. Discover bees in literature, learn how to craft beeswax candles, preserve fine wood with your own home-made furniture polish, or indulge your skin with lavender and beeswax hand cream. Enjoy over 100 glorious honey recipes for cakes and breads, sauces and marinades, drinks and even flavoured spirits!Fully illustrated with practical photography, stunning illustrations and unique etchings, this is an invaluable handbook as well as a beautiful addition to your coffee table, whether you''re an active beekeeper with buzzing hives, or an armchair enthusiast who daydreams about harvesting your own honey.The plight of the honeybee has been widely reported, as numbers fall at an alarming rate. But its vital role in crop pollination and global agricultural means that the survival of the honeybee is essential; if it is to endure into the next century, we must take it seriously now. The Collins Beekeeper''s Bible does just that, bestowing readers with all there is to know about bees, in the hope that it will help secure the future of this fascinating insect.CONTENTS INCLUDEo History of honey and beekeepingo Building a beehive & staying safeo Caring for your bees pests & diseaseso Growing flowers for beeso Collecting your honeyo Household uses for honey and beeswaxo Homeopathic, medicinal and cosmetic uses for honey and polleno Home craftso Recipes for home-made food and drinks featuring honeyTrade Review'This paving slab of a book should be on the shelf of every country person… detailed, well written and joyful to the eye' Country Life ‘A beautiful and practical guide to the world of bees and beekeeping.’ The Daily Telegraph’s Gardening section

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Book SynopsisThe second edition of bestselling Keeping Bees with a Smile shows beginner and practicing beekeepers how to attract local bee swarms, keep bees healthy and productive, build simple bee-friendly hives, and harvest honey without stressing bees. Chock-full of techniques for natural beekeeping. Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword— The Bee Book That Makes Sense: A Roadmap to Natural Beekeeping Part I: A Path to Natural Apiculture A Brief Introduction How It All Got StartedA Small Side Note The Industrial and Natural Approaches The Bee Colony's Intelligence The Goals of This Book The Tree Hollow as the Bees' Natural Home Some Useful Facts about Comb The Bee Colony's Developmental CycleA Year in the Life of a Bee Colony A Word or Two on Wintering The Ideal Comb: How Deep Is Deep Enough? Winter Ventilation of the Beehive Bee Races The European Dark Bee Bee Diseases Symbiosis in Nature (A Philosophical Digression) Bees and Their Enemies A Bit of History The History of the Frame Modern Systems of Industrial Beekeeping Bees in the Industrial Hive A Word or Two about Swarming "Little to Smile About" Is There a Way Out? The History of Horizontal Hives with Extra-Deep Frames The Modern Horizontal Hive The Horizontal Hive with Extra-Deep Frames Using the Extra-Deep Frame Part II: The Practice of Natural Apiculture A Description of the Horizontal Hive with 25 Extra-Deep Frames How to Keep Bees in a Horizontal Hive with Extra-Deep Frames The Central Commandments of Natural Beekeeping A Beekeeper's Tasks in Spring and Summer Fall Procedures: Pulling Honey and Preparing for Winter How to Make Extra-Deep Frames BrushstrokesHow to Capture a Swarm in a Swarm Trap Responsibility Questions and Answers Epilogue to Parts I and II Part III: The Finer Points of Natural Beekeeping Three Years Later Principles of Natural Beekeeping Revisited The Recipe for Success in Beekeeping Nectar Resources Bee Race and Colony Strength On the Mean Bees The QueenThe Vital Rhythms of a Bee Colony The Death of Bee Colonies Various Approaches to Natural Beekeeping More on SupersedureSwarming How to Collect a Swarm The Hive Entrance Spring Inspection of Bee Colonies Spring Buildup of Bee Colonies Preparing for the Main Honeyflow The Main Honeyflow and the Second Half of Summer Pulling Honey and Preparing for Winter Questions and Answers Part IV: How Bee Colonies Winter, And How to Make Wintering as Successful as PossibleIntroduction The Facts: What You Must Know about the Wintering Process of an Individual Bee and of the Colony as a Whole The Colony's Main Job During the Winter The Thermal Physics of a Wintering Colony Bee Respiration in the Winter Cluster The Role of Water in the Wintering Process The Search for the Ideal Home for a Bee Colony The Physiological Condition of a Colony as It Enters the Winter Period Winter Reserves The Location of Winter Reserves The European Dark Bee Wintering Indoors Conclusions to Part IVAfterword Afterword to the Second Edition: Natural Beekeeping Accessible to All Appendix 1: How to Make Swarm Traps and Capture Swarms Appendix 2: How to Produce, Install, and Unite Swarms Appendix 3: Nucs: What to Expect and How to Handle Them Appendix 4: Operations Throughout the Year Appendix 5: How to Build a Horizontal Hive with Extra-Deep Frames (Version 1) Appendix 6: How to Build a Horizontal Hive with Extra-Deep Frames (Version 2) Appendix 7: Lazutin Hive Plans (US Version 4— New)Appendix 8: Summary Handouts Glossary Index About the Author / Editor About New Society Publishers

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Book SynopsisKosovo: the name conjures up blood: ethnic cleansing and war. This book reveals another side to the newest country in the world a land of generous families, strong tastes and lush landscapes: a land of honey. Elizabeth Gowing is rushed to Kosovo, on a blind date with the place , when her partner is suddenly offered the position of adviser to Prime Minister Agim Ceku. Knowing nothing of the language or politics, she is thrown into a world of unpronounceable nouns, unfamiliar foods and bewilderingly hospitable people. On her first birthday in Kosovo she is given a beehive as a gift, and starts on a beekeeping apprenticeship with an unknown family; through their friendship and history she begins to understand her new home. Her apprenticeship leads her to other beekeepers too: retired guerrilla fighters, victims of human trafficking, political activists, a women's beekeeping group who teach her how to dance, and the Prime Minister himself. She dons a beekeeper's veil, sees the bees safely through winter, manages to use a smoker, learns about wicker skeps, gets stung, harvests her honey and drizzles it over everything. In between, she starts working at Pristina s forgotten Ethnological Museum, runs a project in a restored stone house below the Accursed Mountains and falls in love with a country she had known only as a war. Travels in Blood and Honey charts the author s journeys through Kosovo's countryside and its urban sprawl, its Serbs and Albanians, its history and heartache, its etymology and entomology, its sweet and its unsavoury. Describing new ways of living, and many new ways of cooking, the book contains traditional recipes, and the flavours of Turkish coffee, chestnut honey, and the iconic food called fli. It is a celebration of travel, adventure and the new tastes you can acquire far from home.Trade Review'A sheer delight; a beguiling, bittersweet story of a lively love affair with a traditional world, as ancient as apiculture, in transition to new nationhood.' ----The Times 'A wonderful writer about Pristina - Interesting and different.' -----Matthew Parris 'Enthralling... a hugely affectionate picture of the everyday lives of ordinary Kosovans and a wonderful evocation of a place that most of us know so little about. Food, above all honey, is the key that unlocks the doors between cultures. And I have every intention of trying some of the recipes.' ----Sophie Grigson

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Book SynopsisThe story of the inspiring relationship between bees, their hive and the human world, brilliantly reviewed in hardbackTrade ReviewA light and delicious book, in an exceptionally pretty honey-coloured jacket gilded with bees, and it is written with sparkle and charm ... some of her best writing is about the deliciousness of honey, and it is hard to read her chapter of recipes without drooling. * The Tablet *Can hardly be bettered. * Guardian *Bee Wilson's little book is a small hive of treasure. It is a sweet celebration of our appreciation of the honeybee * Dumfries and Galloway Standard *Fascinating, careful, witty and intelligent ... Riveting ... Almost any paragraph chosen at random is entertaining * Prue Leith, New Statesman *Richly informative and beautifully written * The Times *Wonderfully entertaining reading. * The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society *Erudite and elegant ... Bee Wilson writes fluently and engagingly and she manages to present a great deal of curious information in a form as easy to swallow as a spoonful of the finest Attic honey ... The book is also exceptionally pleasing to look at and hold. * Tom Fort, Sunday Telegraph *A fascinating tribute to the bee * Woman & Home *This biography is immensely detailed, intelligent, generous, sympathetic, and often entertaining...Betjeman fans...will delight in Hillier's monumental work * Literary Review *Entertaining and thoroughly worthwhile * Sunday Times *Fascinating * Humphrey Carpenter, Sunday Times *This biography is immensely detailed, intelligent, generous, sympathetic, and often entertaining...Betjeman fans...will delight in Hillier's monumental work * Literary Review *A charming, fascinating pot-pourri of all things beelike * Bookseller *Erudite, informative, accurate and a delight to read. * The Times Literary Supplement *Wilson presents the history of the honeybee in this engaging and anecdote-filled account * Publishing News *'Wilson has a fine eye for character sketches' * The Times *'For a moment you may feel, as I did, that part of Wilson's research for this book involved turning into a bee for a few days ... Amazing.' -- Nick Lezard * Guardian *'Beautifully produced and well-researched ...leaving readers to marvel'. * Good Book Guide *'There are delights and surprises on virtually every page of this gem of a book' * Sunday Telegraph *'Bee Wilson conveys a real sense of the relationship between bees and us, and her short, punchy chapters are witty and fascinating' * Easy Living *'Wilson's sprightly hymn to the honeybee ... conveys ... the marvel, complexity and ultimate unknowability that has made the beehive such a fascination * Independent *'This is the Christmas book with a real sting.' * Saga *She manages to present a great deal of information in a form as easy to swallow as a spoonful of honey. * Tom Fort, Sunday Telegraph *Buzzes with info and has the prettiest dust-jacket of the third millennium * Barry Humphries, Sunday Telegraph *Endlessly fascinating * Mail on Sunday *'A riveting read . . .this beguiling book is more a history of ideas than an actual study . . .buzzing with fascinating facts' * BBC Gardener's World Magazine *'Bee Wilson recounts all the weird and wonderful things people have believed about bees' * History Today *'Juicy reading . . .worth buying for the illustration on p. 204 alone' * The Spectator *'Bee Wilson . . .connects readers' imaginations with their salivary glands' * New Statesman *'A brilliant examination of a natural phenomenon we all take for granted' * Sunday Express *'Delightful' * Economist *'Fascinating and readable. Wilson writes with flair and wit about everything from Pliny to pollination; her love of honey in all its sheer sensuousness shines through' * Scotsman *'Can hardly be bettered . . .Principally a writer on food, Wilson none the less knows a lot about keeping honeybees, and also about their biology and natural history, waxworks and candles, and the changing shape of the beehive' * The Guardian *'Beautifully written and absorbing' * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisA readable, practical and illustrated guide to the ancient craft of beekeeping, an increasingly more popular leisure pursuit.Trade Reviewif you're keen to help our busy bees, this book will give you all the know-how you need - Sunday TimesTable of Contents : introduction 01: naming the parts 02: the honey bee year 03: equipment 04: beginning your beekeeping 05: swarming and swarm control 06: flowers for bees 07: winter 08: pests and diseases 09: the beekeeping year 10: hive products : taking it further : glossary : index

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Book SynopsisDiscover the wonder of bees (and other stripey insects) and how to help them survive. In this little book of bees, wasps, hoverflies and more, discover the easy ways to make your gardens, window boxes and pots insect havens. Rewild your garden with plants for bees and honeybees - simple acts of kindness to save the planet. Expert Nicola Bradbear, from Bees for Development charity, shows you how and why it's so important.There are lots of fun things you can do to make a big difference.With every book sold, proceeds will be donated to Bees for Development (www.beesfordevelopment.org)

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Book SynopsisModern beekeepers - take notice! Here we have the answer to one of the most common questions related to beekeeping: what do I do with all of this beeswax? In fact, the possibilities are seemingly endless! As beeswax has multiple holistic and decorative uses, projects can vary from beauty and health products to household items. Beeswax Alchemy is your first step towards using excess beeswax to make beautiful, useful gifts for friends, family, and even yourself. It offers a basic introduction to the art of extracting and purifying beeswax, as well as countless ideas for what to make with it. These include skin care creams, candles, and other home products like beeswax ornaments and wax fabric. So, get ready to suit up and collect some beeswax. There's so much that you can do with it - and now you know how!

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Book SynopsisA practical book for new beekeepers and those interested in keeping their own bees, explaining everything they need to know to get started. It also covers how to make your garden attractive for bees. Published to coincide with the biggest beginners'' day for beekeeping which takes place in February each year.Trade ReviewThis new publication by Roger Patterson... really gives the basics for someone not knowing where or how to start beekeeping... We must remember that bees' two main objectives during the active season are pro-creation and the collection of enough stores to survive the winter. This book certainly does justice to help the new beekeeper understand these two objectives. * Bee Craft Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFrom building a hive to harvesting honey, a top urban beekeeper and shows aspiring beekeepers how to keep bees the simple way.Trade Review“Anderson’s love of bees and beekeeping is apparent and creates an effective enticement for readers to become beekeepers. His minimalist approach provides an easy entry to a potentially intimidating pastime.” -- —Booklist“Laid back and user-friendly . . . Aspiring apiarists inspired by Anderson’s enthusiastic prose can skim the book for essential information” -- — Natural History Magazine

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Book Synopsis''It''s simultaneously heart-breaking and uplifting, and I loved it'' Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice''This heart-warming, uplifting story will make you want to call your own friends, not to mention grab some honey'' Good Housekeeping* A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick * Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by BookRiot and the New York Post *_________________________________________To the outside world Alice, Jake and Harry have little in common.Alice is a social outsider: reclusive, middle-aged, and with only 850,000 honeybees for company. Jake, following an accident at a high school party, is grappling with life in a wheelchair and dashed dreams of music school.And Harry is an aimless twenTrade ReviewA hopeful, heart-warming, uplifting story about the power of chosen family . . . but it's the bees, with all their wonder and intricacy and intrigue, that make this story sing * Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is *A special treat for nature lovers, The Music of Bees is full of warmth and hope and decency * Rebecca Hardiman, author of Good Eggs *The Music of Bees is a transportive tale to lighten the heart. Eileen Garvin has woven a hypnotic human story of perseverance and second chances with a glittering love letter to our pollinators. It combines a cast of marvellous characters with an utterly exquisite excursion into the buzzy life of bees. Every page hums with hope, gleaming with a message of our inextricable interconnectedness, both within our own species and to our home of the natural world. The Music of Bees is an enchanting book of belonging, overcoming adversity and the journey to find a hive of one's own. * Kira Jane Buxton *

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Book SynopsisAt the heart of every bee hive is a queen bee. Since her well-being is linked to the well-being of the entire colony, the ability to find her among the residents of the hive is an essential beekeeping skill. In QueenSpotting, experienced beekeeper and professional “swarm catcher” Hilary Kearney challenges readers to “spot the queen” with 48 fold-out visual puzzles — vivid up-close photos of the queen hidden among her many subjects.QueenSpotting celebrates the unique, fascinating life of the queen bee and chronicles royal hive happenings such as The Virgin Death Match, The Nuptual Flight — when the queen mates with a cloud of male drones high in the air — and the dramatic Exodus of the Swarm from the hive. Readers will thrill at Kearney’s adventures in capturing these swarms from the strange places they settle, including a Jet Ski, a couch, a speed boat, and an owl’s nesting box. Fascinating, fun, and instructive, backyard beekeepers and nature lovers alike will find reason to return to the pages again and again.

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Book SynopsisAll the Buzz for Beekeeping Beginners“The book oozes with bee facts and trivia….Bees do make good pets and this book is a gentle introduction to the world of backyard bee keeping.” —Patsy Bell Hobson, writer and master gardener emeritus#1 New Release in Entomology and Insects & SpidersWhat happens when a writer sets up a backyard beehive? You get a beekeeping book full of fun and fascinating facts about honey bees and our other favorite pollinators.A nature guide book for beekeeping beginners. Full of trivia, tips, legends, and lore—this quirky bee book swarms with interesting information, so you can have fun, learn stuff, grow your farm, or just relax. Writer and beekeeper Jack Mingo lives with half a million bees, and has picked up a thing or two at his bee farm. In this collection of humorous and often unusual observations, Mingo shows us a glimpse of the mystical and matriarchal world of bees.The save the bees sign you’ve been looking for. How many legs do bees have? Enough not to crowd your bed at night. They don't track mud or bugs into your house, and they won’t bark and whine. They even greet you with raw honey and beeswax. And these are just some of the reasons bees make the best pets of all. Whether you’re a beekeeping beginner, looking to save the bees, or interested in fun nature facts about bugs and insects, there’s something here for every nature lover.Step into Mingo’s hive for tidbits like: Fun and interesting tips and tricks for beekeeping beginners Knowledge about the color, quality, and benefits of local honey The history and legendary stories of bees, like the role they played in the Civil War and the Legend of the Caroling Bees If you liked Beekeeping for Dummies, The Beekeeper’s Handbook, or Beekeeping for Beginners, you’ll love Bees Make the Best Pets.Trade Review“In between musings both sacred and silly, Mingo provides facts about honeybees and how to raise them…. This is a lovely little book.”—Daily Local News, Pennsylvania “The book oozes with bee facts and trivia…. Bees do make good pets and this book is a gentle introduction to the world of backyard bee keeping.”—Patsy Bell Hobson, writer and master gardener emeritus

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Book SynopsisSince the second half of the 20th Century, our agricultural bee pollinators have faced mounting threats from ecological disturbance and pan-global movement of pathogens and parasites. At the same time, the area of pollinator-dependent crops is increasing globally with no end in sight. Never before has so much been asked of our finite pool of bee pollinators. This book not only explores the evolutionary and ecologic bases of these dynamics, it translates this knowledge into practical research-based guidance for using bees to pollinate crops. It emphasizes conserving wild bee populations as well as culturing honey bees, bumble bees, and managed solitary bees. To cover such a range of biology, theory, and practice from the perspectives of both the pollinator and the crop, the book is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on bees, their biology, coevolution with flowering plants, foraging ecology and management, and gives practical ways to increase bee abundance and pollinating performance on the farm. Volume 2 (this volume) focuses on crops, with chapters addressing crop-specific requirements and bee pollination management recommendations.Both volumes are essential reading for farmers, horticulturists and gardeners, researchers and professionals working in insect ecology and conservation, and students of entomology and crop protection.

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Book SynopsisBees is an outstanding collection of photographs showing these fascinating insects in their natural habitat. Honey bees, bumblebees, mining bees, dwarf bees, carpenter, leafcutter and mason bees: bees come in many different types, with more than 16,000 species worldwide. The bees we are most familiar with, bumblebees and honey bees, live in colonies and play a major role in pollinating the crops, plants and flowers around us. And bees produce honey – reputedly the food of the gods – a function of bees’ lifecycle, which humans have exploited for millennia. Many bees today are domesticated, and beekeepers collect honey, beeswax, pollen, and royal jelly from hives for human use. A typical bee produces a teaspoon of honey (about 5 grams) in her lifetime. Bees can communicate many ways through the movement of their wings and bodies – most famously, with the ‘waggle dance’, where they make figure-of- eight circles to let other bees know the direction and distance of nectar. With full captions explaining how bees live, function communally, communicate, feed and reproduce, Bees is an insightful examination in 190 outstanding colour photographs of mankind’s favourite insect.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Social Bees There are around 16,000 species of bees worldwide in the Anthophila clade. Some bees live and work together. This chapter covers the eusocial life cycle of queens, drones and worker bees, revealing facts about their nests and general activity. It also introduces the most famous type of bee, the honey bee (Apis), as well as bumblebees (Bombus) and stingless bees (Meliponini). 2. Solitary Bees Not all bees live and work with others; some like to lead their own lives. This chapter is a roll call of solitary bees, and includes mason bees, carpenter, bees, plasterer bees, digger bees, mining bees, orchid bees, cuckoo bees and sweat bees. 3. Bee Anatomy Bees have a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton. They have three main body parts: the head, thorax and abdomen. A pair of antennae is attached to their head and they have two pairs of wings. This section contains fascinating close-up shots of every aspect of a bee’s physiology – its eyes, mouthparts, legs, feet, wings (at rest and in flight), waist, stinger, ovipositor, hairs and antennae. 4. Behaviour There are three types of honey bees: the queen, the workers and the drones. A queen bee is the only female bee in the hive that reproduces. Worker bees are all female, and are all offspring of the queen. The males in the hive are called drones. Drones fly off to reproduce with other young queens who will start a new colony. Here we look at these roles, as well as brood care, honey production, building the honeycomb, foraging, defence and swarming. 5. Bees and Flowers Pollen and nectar collection is a vital part of the ecosystem bees operate in, and they will fly up to 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) from the nest to collect nectar and pollen from flowers. Forager bees usually live just 30 days after they begin foraging. This is because foraging is one of the most dangerous tasks. Bees also collect water for drinking and cooling the nest.

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Book SynopsisPractical Beekeeping is the complete guide to the bee and its management. Topics covered include: the bee and its environment; hives and other equipment; management of the apiary and control of pests and diseases.

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Book SynopsisHoneybees are an essential part of farming and the wider ecosystem. Since the middle of the 1990s bee populations around the world have suffered dramatic decline through diseases, intoxication, and unknown causes. Veterinarians have had little training in bee health but as the situation continues, qualified animal health professionals and, in particular, veterinarians are being required to become involved as new dangers threaten honeybee health everywhere because of global apiculture, trade and exchanges of honeybees, products of the hive and beekeeping material such as Aethina tumida (the small hive beetle - a beekeeping pest) introduced in Italy in 2014 or the mite Tropilaelaps spp (parasitic mites of honeybees).This book will provide an overview of bee biology, the bee in the wider environment, intoxication, bee diseases, bee parasites (with a large part dedicated to the mite Varroa destructor) pests enemies, and veterinary treatment and actions relating to honeybee health. The book will also cover current topics such as climate change, crop pollination, use of phytosanitary products, antibiotic resistance, and Colony Collapse Disorder.While aimed at veterinary practitioners, students and veterinarians involved in apiculture and bee health (officials, researchers, laboratory veterinarians, biologists. ..), the book can also be beneficial to beekeepers, beekeeping stakeholders, animal health and environmental organisations.

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Book SynopsisIn an extraordinary exposition, Lorenzen - an expert beekeeper and student of contemporary spiritual science - describes the `Logos mysteries', based at the ancient temple of Artemis in Ephesus, where priestesses were known as `Melissas' (`honeybees') and the sacrificial priests were called `Essenes' (or `bee-kings'). These cultic mysteries, he says, bore remarkable parallels to the workings of a bee colony - specifically in the relationship between the queen and worker bees to the spiritual `group-soul' of the bees. Lorenzen commences his unique study with a discussion of flowers and insects, exploring their common origins. He then describes the beginnings of the honeybee, its connection with the fig wasp, and the subsequent controlled transformation of the latter that took place in pre-historic mystery-centres. Breeding the honeybee from the fig wasp - a sacred deed performed at consecrated sanctuaries - was part of the `Fig-tree mysteries'. The initiates behind this task developed the ability to commune with the bees' group-soul and to work consciously on the mutual development of the hive and humanity. This concise but rich work features an illuminating foreword by Heidi Herrmann of the Natural Beekeeping Trust as well as a lucid introduction by translator Paul King that explains the anthroposophical concepts employed by Lorenzen in his text.Table of ContentsForeword - Introduction - BEES AND THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES: 1. Flowers and Insects - 2. The Origin of the Honeybee - 3. Fig-tree Mysteries - 4. Bee Realm and Logos Mysteries - Notes - Further Reading

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Book SynopsisTop-Bar Beekeeping is an offering designed to encourage beekeepers around the world to keep bees naturally by providing beekeeping basics, hive management and the utilization of top-bar hives. In recent years, beekeepers have had to face tremendous challenges, from pests, such as varroa and tracheal mites, to the mysterious but even more devastating phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Yet in backyards and on rooftops all over the world, bees are being raised successfully, even without antibiotics, miticides, or other chemical inputs. More and more organically-minded beekeepers are now using top-bar hives, in which the shape of the interior resembles a hollow log. Long lasting and completely biodegradable, a top-bar hive made of untreated wood allows bees to build comb naturally rather than simply filling prefabricated foundation frames in a typical box hive with added supers. Top-bar hives yield slightly less honey but produce more beeswax than a typical Langstroth box hive. Regular hive inspection and the removal of old combs helps to keep bees healthier and naturally disease-free. Top-Bar Beekeeping provides complete information on hive management and other aspects of using these innovative hives. All home and hobbyist beekeepers who have the time and interest in keeping bees intensively should consider the natural, low-stress methods outlined in this book. It will also appeal to home orchardists, gardeners, and permaculture practitioners who look to bees for pollination as well as honey or beeswax.Trade Review ForeWord Reviews- "Farmers who seek a guide to hive maintenance told through a thoughtful personal narrative will benefit from the discussion of this topbar style of beekeeping. The first-person style of the book allows a window into the practices of the topbar beekeeper while conveying a wealth of knowledge and a well-researched comparison of hive practices. The book is appropriate for beginning beekeepers as well as those experienced but looking for information on natural and organic beekeeping practices. The book’s ten sections discuss optimal practices of an organic beekeeper juxtaposed with discussion of industry standard practices and their drawbacks. Each section contains stories of the authors’ successes and failures as well as diagrams and pictures to explain everything from hive design to plant species for optimal pollination. Whether the reader is looking to start their own hive or simply increase their knowledge of honeybees, the book provides interesting and detailed discussions of all aspects of raising them. Crowder and Harrell offer not only advice on how to get started, but an in-depth discussion of all aspects of keeping a hive, from bee capture, breeding, and selection to honey processing. They have crafted a book that is both informative and engaging, filled with introspective advice and practical knowledge." Publisher's Weekly- "Cave drawings show beekeepers “smoking” their hives, preparing for insect interaction. Today’s mass-produced honey relies mostly on the venerable Langstroth method of beekeeping, which has produced plenty of honey—but also has introduced plenty of chemicals into the process—through the years. Top-bar hives, named for the bars that run across their tops, are popular with bee beginners even though they produce less honey than Langstroth hives. But this account, the culmination of Crowder and Harrell’s 40 years of top-bar beekeeping adventures, shows the reader their method’s advantages: it avoids antibiotics, miticides, and other chemicals inherent to the conventional process. Crowder and his wife, Harrell, leave no comb unharvested as they take the top-bar aspirant from bee basics (stings, smoke, and hive transfers) through hive management (comb removal and feeding) to beneficial, and profitable, byproducts like beeswax. For those a bit lukewarm to the swarm, the book gives a fascinating insight into bees’ elaborate organizational and geometry skills, and it may even make one reconsider buying mass-marketed, chemical-laced honey.""Reading Top-Bar Beekeeping reminds me of the classes I took with Les Crowder several years ago. He's a man who truly knows whereof he speaks, who has the gift of communicating with his small friends, the bees, and sharing his understanding with us. . . . This is the one book on beekeeping that I will recommend to my permaculture students."--Scott Pittman, Director, Permaculture Institute USA "This is an excellent guide for hobby beekeepers who wish to keep bees using top-bar hives. Drawing on his more than 30 years of beekeeping experience in New Mexico, author Les Crowder describes in detail the special comb management techniques that this low-cost, but relatively intensive, form of beekeeping requires. Top-Bar Beekeeping also provides an eloquent appeal for beekeepers to make care, respect, and reverence the foundation of their relationships with the bees."--Thomas D. Seeley, Cornell University; author of Honeybee Democracy and The Wisdom of the Hive"This book presents practical advice, gained from first-hand experience, on the organic management of top bar hives. This book will serve as an excellent guide to the ever-growing number of beekeepers that utilizes less intrusive management schemes such as top bar hives. Thanks to Les and Heather for their efforts to provide sound advice on natural ways to keep bees."--Dr. Jeff Pettis, USDA-ARS Table of Contents1. Top-bar hives 2. The supercreature 3. Beekeeping basics 4. Hive management 5. The seasons 6. Honey, beeswax, and other products 7. Evaluating your queen 8. Problem-solving 9. Raising queens 10. Planting for bees

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSince the publication of the first edition of the handbook in 1973, many thousands of novice and experienced beekeepers have relied on this book as the preferred single-volume guide to bee keeping * British Journal of Entomology and Natural History *

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive gardener''s guide to sustainable beekeeping.Beekeeping has changed. While once it was a hobby that pursued the rich rewards of honey and wax, many new beekeepers now instead seek the gratification of knowing that they are aiding the survival of one of the world''s most important creatures. Keeping bees today is as much about providing the right habitats and resources to help pollinators thrive as it is about chasing every drop of golden honey.This beautifully illustrated guide to the ancient hobby of beekeeping shows today''s gardeners how to create beautiful gardens that are richly rewarding for people and bees alike. Flowers, shrubs, trees and vegetable plots can provide colourful beauty and delicious produce as well as vital pollen and nectar when bees need it the most. There are lists of the top-performing plants and how and where to grow them, including window boxes, lawns, borders, wild gardens and even ponds.Beekeeping for Gar

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Book SynopsisWhether you are a novice looking to get started with bees, an experienced apiculturist looking for ideas to develop an integrated pest-management approach, or someone who wants to sell honey at a premium price, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Now revised and updated with new resources and including full-color photos throughout, Natural Beekeeping offers all the latest information in a book that has already proven invaluable for organic beekeepers. The new edition offers the same holistic, sensible alternative to conventional chemical practices with a program of natural hive management, but offers new sections on a wide range of subjects, including: The basics of bee biology and anatomy Urban beekeeping Identifying and working with queens Parasitic mite control Hive diseases Also, a completely new chapter on marketing provides valuable advice for anyone who intends to sell a wide range of hive products. Other chapters include: Hive Management Genetics and Breeding The Honey Harvest The Future of Organic Beekeeping Ross Conrad brings together the best “do no harm” strategies for keeping honeybees healthy and productive with nontoxic methods of controlling mites; eliminating American foulbrood disease without the use of antibiotics; selective breeding for naturally resistant bees; and many other detailed management techniques, which are covered in a thoughtful, matter-of-fact way.Trade Review“Natural Beekeeping is a wonderful book, beautifully written and illustrated, about how one can have healthy hives of bees without using synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, or artificial diets. Ross Conrad explains in fine detail that the key ingredients of organic beekeeping are disease-resistant stock, favorable apiary sites, and good colony management, plus a reverence and respect for the bees.”--Thomas D. Seeley, Cornell University, author of Honeybee Democracy and The Wisdom of the HiveLibrary Journal- "Originally published in 2007 as colony collapse disorder was making headlines across the world, this updated edition by veteran beekeeper Conrad (former president, Vermont Beekeepers Assn.) is a holistic reference guide to organic apiculture. While newer parasites like varroa mites are making chemical treatments a normal part of hive ownership, many people are still looking for ways to manage their hives organically in order to reduce the amount of chemicals that affect bees, other pollinators, and the environment in general. This new edition adds information about urban beekeeping, top-bar hives, and marketing for those interested in selling honey and other products from their beehives. A comprehensive glossary and resource list will assist novice and experienced apiarists searching for equipment, mite-resistant bee suppliers, and pesticide testing and reporting agencies. VERDICT Conrad’s personal experiences and easy tone and the wealth of information make this title perfect for beekeepers looking for more natural hive management options. Highly recommended for purchase wherever urban farming is taking root." Table of Contents1. Why organic beekeeping? 2. Working with the hive 3. Hive management 4. Genetics and breeding 5. Parasitic mites 6. Insect pests 7. Four-legged and feathered pests 8. Environmental and human threats 9. Hive diseases 10. The honey harvest 11. Marketing 12. Organics and the evolution of beekeeping

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Book SynopsisExpert beekeeper and swarm-catcher Hilary Kearney offers a unique window into the social lives and biology of these remarkable creatures, accompanied by the photos of world-renowned bee photographer Eric Tourneret. Readers will be awestruck by the hive as superorganism and how the individual bee lives and behaves within it, perfectly suited to each specific job it performs. From their intricate dances and information-rich pheromones to how they sense and respond to their environment, learn, and remember, this immersive journey into the world of bees offers an entirely new perspective on the wisdom of nature and our relationship to it.

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Book SynopsisWith over 100 colour photographs and illustrations, Raising Resilient Bees is the comprehensive source for new and experienced beekeepers, offering a sustainable, natural and repeatable model of care for hive health and production. Global pests and diseases present an unprecedented challenge for the modern honey bee. Hobby and commercial beekeepers alike continue to experience troubling rates of mortality for their colonies, with potentially deleterious consequences for the stability of our wider ecosystems and overall food security. It is time for a global focus on restoring the health of the shared apiary by naturally rearing genetically diverse and resilient lines of bees. Raising Resilient Bees establishes these parameters and provides guidance for new and experienced beekeepers alike to translate these goals into real practice, thereby safeguarding the honey bee from the unknown threats of the future. Authors Eric and Joy McEwen take two decades worth of beekeeping experience, experiments and professional production to deliver groundbreaking methods in queen-rearing, varroa mite management and Natural Nest hive design. Inside, you’ll discover: Revived and adapted heritage Integrated Pest Management techniques How to naturally rear queens and select for resilient, mite-resistant genetic lines without relying on swarming or grafting Key tenets of apicentric beekeeping Advice for establishing a flourishing and sustainable business with beekeeping at the centre How to naturally rear bees with distinctive characteristics suitable to their locale As in large-scale agriculture, the trend toward genetic homogenization is having long-term implications for bees’ capacity to withstand diverse environmental stressors. With expert advice, enthusiasm and easy-to-follow instructions, Raising Resilient Bees delivers important and timely information for every beekeeper to create a healthier future.Trade Review"Right from the start, this book takes you on a journey that is fascinating and thought-provoking. . . The McEwens demonstrate creative, out-of-the-box thinking and challenge traditional ways of keeping bees."—American Bee Journal"Raising Resilient Bees challenges accepted practices in commercial beekeeping, based on decades of experience on an organic farm. . . [It's] inspiring. It will strike a chord with those who feel an instinctive love for the land and a desire to follow the most harm-free practices in agriculture."—Foreword Reviews“Beekeepers and the bee-curious alike will revel in this fresh offering from long-time honey bee stewards Eric and Joy McEwen. In a conversational and approachable fashion, this husband-and-wife team gracefully offers up solutions to some of the most difficult contemporary beekeeping problems. Beautiful photos and colorful illustrations provide vital basics for those new to the craft, as well as creative ideas for advanced beekeepers to mull over. Opening this book is opening a window into a resilient and regenerative beekeeping operation. Your bees will thank you for it.”—Sarah Red-Laird, founder and executive program director, the Bee Girl Organization (BGO); past president, Western Apicultural Society “Joy and Eric McEwen give a vivid, practical, evidence-based demonstration of how a commercial beekeeping enterprise of over 600 hives can work in a way that is more ecologically sustainable and bee-friendly, while remaining profitable enough to support a family and employees. Biodynamic and organic beekeepers will applaud the authors’ use of ‘Natural Nest’ hives with single-size boxes and vertically uninterrupted brood nests, populated with locally adapted bees and naturally reared queens.”—David Heaf, author of The Bee-Friendly Beekeeper; bee-friendly.co.uk“Raising Resilient Bees offered me a new way to consider honey bees. My previous framework was borrowed from Dr. Tom Seeley, who looked at the honey bee colony as a whole; something more than just individuals strung together. Eric and Joy McEwen have taken this a step further with their concept of the ‘hive bee-ing,’ which is not just the colony but also the environment in which it is housed and with which it interacts intimately. The McEwens look at every aspect of a honey bee’s life in this book—pest and disease issues, living space, the genetics of resistance and tolerance, qualities of successful queens, optimal feeding, and seasonal management that prioritizes the bee above the beekeeper. Resilience means being adaptable—finding new and better solutions to old problems. Adaptability. That is the best quality a honey bee, and a beekeeper, can have.”—Kim Flottum, author of The Backyard Beekeeper; host, Beekeeping Today Podcast “Raising Resilient Bees shares the McEwens’ quest and commitment to steward bees respectfully and responsibly. This guide is a mellifluous manifesto that touches upon the diversity and majesty of what it means to work in tandem with our honey bee relatives and Mother Nature. May stewards near and far find inspiration and motivation in the McEwens’ path of purpose, and may they learn to nurture their own beekeeping journeys through the Diggin’ Livin’ teachings.”—Melanie M. Kirby, founder and director, Adaptive Bee Breeders Alliance “Raising Resilient Bees is a comprehensive guide to beekeeping that emphasizes sustainable and ethical practices. Drawing on their years of experience as beekeepers and farmers, the McEwens offer practical advice on everything from setting up a hive to harvesting honey. This isn’t just a how-to manual. This book also explores the important roles bees play in our ecosystems and the threats they face, as well as guidance on how to support and protect these crucial pollinators. Raising Resilient Bees is a must-read for anyone interested in beekeeping, sustainability, and the natural world.”—Penny Livingston, permaculturist, beekeeper, and educator “Eric and Joy are a rare breed; professional beekeepers taking a creative and nuanced approach to commercial beekeeping. In Raising Resilient Bees, they consider the entire cycle of the professional beekeeper’s life and work with a sustainable focus, from sourcing salvaged timber for beehives to breeding locally adapted bees, modifying conventional hive designs to crafting high-value bee products. Eric and Joy’s hard work and deep commitment to learning from their bees and the local environment will be an inspiration to any aspiring beekeeper and to those wishing to transition to more sustainable practices.”—Tim Malfroy, owner, Malfroy’s Gold and Natural Beekeeping Australia“Much akin to the wondrous distillation that honey bees perform while alchemizing nectar from flowers into concentrated pearls of sweet, nutritious, and healing honey, Joy and Eric have distilled decades of earnest, caring, and arduous work tending their apiaries into pearls of valuable wisdom. As a seed grower, I have long marveled at the unique cosmic dance between bee and flower that gives rise to the seed, and this book amplifies this sense of wonder. If you are holding this book in your hands, then I presume that you too will be grateful for this valuable contribution to the art and science of natural beekeeping.”—Don Tipping, farmer and seedsman, Siskiyou Seeds“In Raising Resilient Bees, Eric and Joy not only provide us with a bee-centric approach to beekeeping but also a human-centric one. As farmers, our desire to practice a method of agriculture that seeks to regenerate our natural systems and resources rather than exploit them requires us to consider how to bring our whole human selves to the task. Raising Resilient Bees is not just a how-to manual on holistic beekeeping for hobbyists and professionals alike, but a manifesto on how we, as humans, can practice respect, humility, and love, in service to the earth and each other.”—Beth Hoinacki, farmer, Goodfoot Farm; president of Demeter Advisory Board, Biodynamic Demeter Alliance“Few relationships are as complex, and indeed as agonized over, as that between humans, honey bees, and our shared environment. This lovely book—a detailed guide, an homage, and a story all in one—offers huge insight to anyone currently beekeeping or considering entering into that great interspecies relationship with a view beyond the purely economic. Rich in detail, photos, diagrams, and the authors’ learnings—often from their own challenging experiments in bee breeding and care—Raising Resilient Bees conveys the McEwens’ love for bees and their admirable desire to ensure that the lessons learned from their good and bad times help others. We never do stop learning, and this book, part of a great beekeeping canon, will contribute immensely to your own learning journey.”—Vicki Hird, writer and campaigner; author of Rebugging the Planet “In this important new handbook, Eric and Joy McEwen provide a comprehensive approach to the extraordinary world of beekeeping and honey production. These two long-time practitioners offer detail and instruction for both the commercial farm enterprise as well as the homestead producer. It is authoritative, delightfully readable, and will be a lifelong reference.”—Garry Stephenson, professor emeritus, Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems, Oregon State University“A Jacqueline Freeman journey through some super solid information. Eric and Joy McEwen cover all the bee basics and the challenges one should expect when getting started with the species. They offer a very genuine depiction, through real-life experiences, of what it takes to manage bees sustainably. Raising Resilient Bees is a testament to regenerative beekeeping by way of responsible practices, understanding of place, and most of all, the appreciation of deep bee ecology.”—Rob Keller, Napa Valley Bee Co."Simply stated, Raising Resilient Bees: Heritage Techniques to Mitigate Mites, Preserve Locally Adapted Genetics, and Grow Your Apiary is essential reading for anyone who aspires to keep bees, and has a great deal of practical value as a resource for even the more experienced beekeeper. Nicely illustrated with color photographic images, informatively comprehensive, exceptionally 'reader friendly in organization and presentation, Raising Resilient Bees is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library bee keeping collections and as a textbook for supplemental Animal Husbandry and Entomology curriculum studies lists."—Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisThis book should be in the library of every student of the honey bee and bee behavior—beekeepers (both amateur and professional) as well as scientists.Trade ReviewAs a world authority on insect anatomy, Snodgrass has given us in this book a brilliant account of the anatomy of the honey bee and how it relates to the way that bees develop and how and why they function as they do in their interesting communal life. This book should be in the library of every student of the honey bee and bee behavior—beekeepers as well as scientists. The book is delightfully written and is enjoyable reading. * American Bee Journal *This is not just a technical reference book on honey bee anatomy. It is far more: it is essentially a treatise on entomology using one species as an example, and including a discussion of the fundamentals of embryology, development, and metamorphosis as well as anatomy. The subject of each chapter is approached from the broadest evolutionary point of view, and its horizon includes all the arthropods and beyond, so that the bee really typifies animal life in general. Finally, the language of the book is such that it can be read straight through with pleasure. It is a delight to follow the author through this complete examination of one insect: how it develops, how it grows, and how it operates. * Entomological News *

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Book SynopsisBuilding Beehives For Dummies (9781119544388) was previously published as Building Beehives For Dummies (9781118312940). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product. The easy way to build your own beehives and beekeeping equipment Building Beehives For Dummiesis the follow-up book to the bestsellingBeekeeping For Dummies. It provides everything you need to learn how to build some of the world's most popular hives and beekeeping accessories. For each design the book includes a detailed materials list (what lumber, hardware and fasteners you'll need), step-by-step building instructions, and illustrative drawings that show how the components all fit together. There are over a dozen plans in all, including the traditional Langstroth hive, the eight frame garden hive, designs for elevated hive stands, the Warre hive, screened bottom board, the Kenya top-bar hive, four-frameTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 3 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book Is Organized 3 Part 1: The Buzz on Beehives 4 Part 2: The World’s Most Popular Beehive Designs 4 Part 3: Sweet Beehive Accessories 4 Part 4: The Part of Tens 5 Icons Used in This Book 5 Beyond the Book 5 Where to Go from Here 6 Part 1: The Buzz On Beehives 7 Chapter 1: Getting Sweet on Building Your Own Beehives 9 Bee-ing in the Know about Bees 10 Honeybees’ most important job: Pollination 10 The products of the honeybee 11 The main players in a beehive 12 Appreciating the Benefits of Building a Beehive Rather than Buying One 14 Have fun and feel self-satisfaction 14 Enhance your commitment to beekeeping, and better understand your bees’ home 14 Modify designs to better meet your needs 14 Enjoy better quality than store-bought kits 15 Go green and recycle 15 Make building a family affair 15 Sell your handiwork 15 Making Plans for Your Own Beehive 15 Setting Up Your Workshop 16 Assembling Tools and Materials 16 Getting a Handle on Carpentry Skills 17 Constructing Hives and Accessories 17 Chapter 2: Comb Sweet Comb: Beehive Basics 21 Knowing What Bees Need in a Hive 21 Shelter and safety 21 The ability to expand 22 Dry and well-ventilated conditions 22 A nearby source of water 22 Understanding the Anatomy of a Beehive 23 Elevated hive stand 24 Bottom board 25 Entrance reducer 25 Deep hive bodies 25 Honey super 25 Frames 26 Inner cover 27 Outer cover 27 Looking at Locale 28 Following regional laws and requirements 28 Bee-ing sweet to your neighbors 28 Picking the perfect location 29 Making a Beeline to the Hive That’s Best for Your Needs 31 A hive for learning and teaching 32 Hives for pollinating your garden 32 A hive for harvesting honey 32 Hives to match your building skills 32 Hives for selling 33 A handy table to help you decide the hive to build 33 Chapter 3: Gathering Basic Tools and Materials 35 Bee-ing Safe Before You Begin 35 Protecting yourself with safety gear 36 Following safety practices 38 Oops! Planning for emergencies 38 Talking about Tools 39 A few essential hand tools 39 The right saws and blades 42 Gadgets that are nice to have but not essential 43 Looking at Lumber 45 Choosing lumber 45 Sizing up lumber 47 Getting the scoop on plywood 48 The Buzz on Other Building Materials 49 Fixating on fasteners 49 Rifling through roofing materials 50 Selecting screening materials 51 Protecting Your Beehives with Paint and More 51 Estimating the Amounts and Costs of Materials 52 Chapter 4: Fine-Tuning Your Carpentry Skills 55 Always Adhering to the “Bee Space” 55 Measuring and Marking Lumber 56 Cutting Lumber 58 What’s Up with This Joint? 59 Butt joints 59 Rabbet cuts and dado joints 60 Finger joints 61 Working with Flashing and Wire 63 Cutting and bending metal flashing 63 Cutting and shaping wire hardware cloth 64 Assembling the Parts of Your Hive 65 Going with glue 65 Being square 65 Nailing and screwing everything together 66 Part 2: The World’s Most Popular Beehive Designs 67 Chapter 5: The Kenya Top Bar Hive 69 Vital Stats 71 Materials List 72 Cut List 72 Elevated hive stand 73 Hive body 74 Top bars 75 Ventilated roof 76 Assembling the Hive 77 Chapter 6: The Five-Frame Nuc Hive 81 Vital Stats 82 Materials List 83 Cut List 83 Bottom board 84 Hive body 85 Inner hive cover 86 Outer hive cover 88 Assembling the Hive 89 Chapter 7: The Four-Frame Observation Hive 95 Vital Stats 97 Materials List 97 Cut List 98 Hive body and top 98 Bottom board 100 Assembling the Hive 100 Chapter 8: The Warré Hive 105 Vital Stats 107 Materials List 107 Cut List 108 Hive bottom and stand 109 Hive boxes 110 Top bars 111 Quilt box 112 Ventilated roof 112 Assembling the Hive 114 Chapter 9: The British National Hive 119 Vital Stats 120 Materials List 121 Cut List 122 Floor 122 Brood chamber 124 Shallow honey supers 125 Making tricky cuts for hand and drip rails 126 Deep and shallow frames 127 Making tricky cuts for side bars 130 Making tricky cuts for top bars 130 Crown board 131 Roof 132 Assembling the Hive 134 Chapter 10: The Langstroth Hive 141 Vital Stats 142 Materials List 143 Cut List 144 Bottom board (ten-frame version) 145 Bottom board (eight-frame version) 147 Deep hive bodies (ten-frame version) 147 Deep hive bodies (eight-frame version) 149 Medium super (ten-frame version) 149 Medium super (eight-frame version) 150 Inner hive cover (ten-frame version) 151 Inner hive cover (eight-frame version) 153 Outer hive cover (ten-frame version) 153 Outer hive cover (eight-frame version) 155 Assembling the Hive 156 Part 3: Sweet Beehive Accessories 161 Chapter 11: The Frame Jig 163 Vital Stats 164 Materials List 164 Cut List 165 Assembling the Frame Jig 166 Chapter 12: The Double Screened Inner Cover 169 Vital Stats 170 Materials List 171 Cut List 171 Double screened inner cover for the ten-frame Langstroth hive 172 Double screened inner cover for the eight-frame Langstroth hive 174 Double screened inner cover for the nuc hive 175 Double screened inner cover for the British National hive 175 Assembling the Inner Cover 176 Chapter 13: The Elevated Hive Stand 179 Vital Stats 180 Materials List 180 Cut List 181 Assembling the Elevated Hive Stand 182 Chapter 14: The IPM Screened Bottom Board 185 Vital Stats 186 Materials List 187 Cut List 188 Assembling the IPM Screened Bottom Board 190 Chapter 15: The Hive-Top Feeder 193 Vital Stats 194 Materials List 195 Cut List 195 Feeder for a ten-frame Langstroth hive 196 Feeder for an eight-frame Langstroth hive 198 Assembling the Hive-Top Feeder 199 Chapter 16: The Solar Wax Melter 203 Vital Stats 204 Materials List 204 Cut List 205 Floor assembly 205 Inclined side panels 206 Glazed top assembly 207 Assembling the Solar Wax Melter 208 Chapter 17: Langstroth Frames 213 Vital Stats 214 Materials List 215 Cut List 216 Deep frames 216 Medium frames 217 Shallow frames 217 Making tricky cuts for side bars 219 Making tricky cuts for top bars 220 Assembling Langstroth Frames 222 Part 4: The Part Of Tens 225 Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Tips for Extending the Life of Your Equipment 227 Don’t Go Cheap on Materials 227 Keep a Build Log 228 Establish an Inspection Routine 228 Prepare Your Hives for Winter 229 Do Some Spring Cleaning 229 Make Yearly Exterior Touch-Ups 230 Repair the Roof 231 Replace Rotting Wood 231 Elevate Your Hives 231 Provide Proper Ventilation 232 Guard against Bears with an Electric Fence 233 Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Ways to Trick Out Your Hives 235 Use Decorative Handles and Embellishments 236 Add Metal Frame Rests 237 Employ Exotic Woods 238 Paint Creatively 239 Shingle the Sides 240 Add a Front Porch 241 Make Your Inner Cover Transparent 241 Cut an Observation Window in the Hive Body 242 Use Alternate Roof Materials 243 Make Architectural Alterations to Your Roof 243 Mount a Webcam to Your Hive 243 Chapter 20: Ten Fun Facts about Beehives 245 Discovering the First Recorded Depiction of a Beehive 245 Unearthing the World’s Oldest Beehives 246 Recounting a Brief History of Beehives around the Globe 246 Bee-ing the Beehive State 247 Studying Beehives in Outer Space 247 Finding the Largest Beehive in the World 248 Using Beehives for Design Inspiration 248 Creating Beehives for Bumblebees 248 Moving a Beehive without Confusing Your Bees 249 Transporting Migratory Beehives 249 Index 251

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Book SynopsisIn this richly illustrated guide, Bees of Costa Rica, leading bee experts showcase the diversity of bees in Costa Rica and the myriad ways in which they interact with flowers and people.Costa Rica is home to 117 bee genera and approximately 700 bee species. Focusing on the five bee families present in Costa Rica, the authors describe the bees'' general physical traits, foraging and mating behavior, and nest characteristics. Chapters cover the relationships between bees and other insects, profiles of plants pollinated by bees, and practical suggestions for bee conservation. With identification keys and more than 150 color photographs, Bees of Costa Rica is essential for anyone looking to learn about and protect these important pollinators in Costa Rica and beyond.Table of Contents0. Introduction 1. Bee Terminology 2. Biology of Bees 3. Profiles of Common Bee Genera in Costa Rica Family Andrenidae Family Colletidae Family Halictidae Family Megachilidae Family Apidae 4. Insects and Mites Associated with Bees 5. Relationships between Bees and Flowers 6. Profiles of Flowering Plants that Attract Bees 7. Costa Rican Crops and Bees 8. The Conservation of Bees

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“An excellent addition to anyone’s bee library.”—Adrian Waring, Bee Craft “Anyone deeply interested in natural history will ignore this mad little volume at their peril.”—Simon Ings, New Scientist“Highly engaging.”—Gard W. Otis, American Entomologist“A must have book for all beekeepers and bee lovers.”—Scott Shalaway, Youngstown Vindicator“Delightful.”—Harvard Magazine“Following the Wild Bees just might give readers an intellectually (and physically) stimulating new outdoor activity.”—The Scientist“Seeley’s passion for the social insects blazes as he quotes historical accounts by Henry David Thoreau and describes the intricacies of the chase.”—Barbara Kiser, Nature

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Book SynopsisAccording to Egyptian mythology, when the god Re cried, his tears turned into bees upon touching the ground. Beyond the realm of myth, the honey bee is a surprisingly common and significant motif in Egyptian history, playing a role in the mythology, medicine, art, and food of the ancient culture. In The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt, entomologist Gene Kritsky presents the first full-length discussion of the ways in which bees were a part of life in ancient Egypt, shedding light on one of the many mysteries of the ancient world. Kritsky delves into ancient Egypt''s complex society, revealing that bees had a significant presence in everything from death rituals to trade. In fact, beekeeping was a state-controlled industry, and in certain instances honey could even be used to pay taxes! Honey was used both to sweeten foods and treat cuts, and was sometimes used as a tribute or offering. From the presence of bees in paintings and hieroglyphs in tombs to the use of beeswax in a variety of products, bees had a significant presence in ancient Egyptian culture. Richly illustrated and engagingly written, The Tears of Re will appeal to anyone with a passion for beekeeping, Egypt, or the ancient world.Trade ReviewKritsky achieves a quality integration punctuated with excellent illustration Readers will appreciate Kritskys combination of historical range, beekeeping knowledge, and connection to the present. * Adam Ebert, Agricultural History *This concise account of beekeeping in Ancient Egypt packs a wealth of material into its 133 pages of text ... a pleasure to read, exploring myriad aspects of Ancient Egyptian life from a new perspective and with appeal to a similarly wide audience. * Susan Biddle, Beekeepers Quarterly *Kritsky has provided a comprehensive, well documented, and highly readable overview of Ancient Egyptian beekeeping. His book is full of interesting facts ... a truly astounding book that will appeal to both Egyptophiles and entomologists * O. Zuhdi, KMT *This well-illustrated book works as a guide for the amateur Egyptologist, 'with step-by-step instructions to the evidence of ancient beekeeping at different archaeological sites and in different museums'. It is a great read for those with an interest in Ancient Egypt and the detective work that has revealed its complex, highly ordered and controlled society. The amateur beekeeper will also be fascinated by this book. * Paul Bolam, History Today *Kritsky marshals [the material for this book] with a simple, supple prose ... Readable in a few hours, the book is the sort of unexpected delight one hopes to find in an old hotel, and it deserves to do well. Lets hope the, er, buzz spreads (sorry). * Richard Benson, The Independent *This fascinating study traces the history of beekeeping and honey production through pictorial evidence starting back in the Fifth Dynasty ... well researched and very accessible to the general reader. * Hilary Forrest, Ancient Egypt *an engaging and enjoyable read and would encourage anyone who has an interest in bees, beekeeping or ancient Egypt to read it. * Biologist *Kritsky has created a book that is an enjoyable, engaging read and also contributes meaningfully to our understanding of the cultural significance of the bee and apiculture in Egypt. ... Kritsky's work is an essential starting point for understanding beekeeping and discussions of bees throughout the Mediterranean world, in art, and in history. * Rachel D. Carlson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Richly illustrated and engagingly written, Kritsky's monograph will appeal to anyone with a passion for beekeeping, Egyptology, or the ancient world in general. It will become a compelling reference work on the subject for many years to come. * European Journal Entomology *The is subject matter will appeal to students, beekeepers interested in history, and professors teaching the development of apiculture... * Kirsten Traynor, American Entomologist *A must for anyone interested in cultural entomology. * Claire Waring, Bee Craft *Table of Contents1. Beekeeping Begins ; 2. The Delight of Re: Beekeeping During the Old Kingdom ; 3. Instability and Reunification: Beekeeping During the Middle Kingdom ; 4. The Age of Empire: Beekeeping During the New Kingdom ; 5. The Saite Period ; 6. The Greco-Roman Period ; 7. The Honey Bee Hieroglyph ; 8. The Administration and Economics of Egyptian Beekeeping ; 9. Bees and Food ; 10. Honey and Healing ; 11. Bees, Gods, and Feasts ; 12. The Magic of Beeswax ; 13. The Afterlife of Ancient Egyptian Beekeeping

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Honey, Give Me the Lowdown 7 Chapter 1: Dipping into Honey’s History and Its Importance Today 9 Introducing Discoscapa apicula — the World’s Oldest Bee? 10 Raising Bees in Ancient Egypt 11 Embalming with Honey and More 12 Discovering the World’s Oldest Beehives 13 In Praise of Honey 14 Islam 15 Hinduism 15 Judaism 15 Buddhism 15 Christianity 15 Sikhism 15 Finding Honey in Literature and Folklore 16 Honey Bees Come to America 17 Honey Today: Celebrity Status 18 Chapter 2: Looking at How Honey is Made and Harvested 19 Gathering Their Groceries 19 Understanding the Composition of Honey 23 Harvesting Honey: From Bee to Bottle 24 It’s all about timing 25 Driving the bees out of the honey supers 27 Removing the honey from the comb 27 Chapter 3: Appreciating the Different Styles of Honey 29 Walkin’ Talkin’ Honeycomb 30 Savoring Liquid Gold — Extracted Honey 31 Getting Chunky with Chunk Honey 31 Whipping Your Honey 32 What’s the Story on Honey Straws? 34 Part 2: Nutrition, Health, and Honey 37 Chapter 4: All About Apitherapy 39 Bee Venom 40 Bee Pollen 42 Royal Jelly 43 Propolis 44 Beeswax 44 Enjoying the Many Benefits of Honey 45 Cuts, burns, and scratches 46 Fixing sore throats and coughs 46 Getting the honey glow 47 Chapter 5: Making Honey Remedies at Home 49 Mixing Up Some Honey-Based Hair and Skincare Products 50 Honey-Based Elixirs 61 Part 3: Honey Varietals 69 Chapter 6: Discovering the World’s Top Honey Producers 71 1 China (500,000 tons) 72 2 Iran (112,000 tons) 72 3 Turkey (110,000 tons) 73 4 India (85,000 tons) 73 5 United States (81,000 tons) 74 1 North Dakota (19,000 tons) 74 2 South Dakota (19,000 tons) 75 3 Montana (7,000 tons) 75 4 California (6,850 tons) 75 5 Florida (5,950 tons) 76 6 Minnesota (3,905 tons) 76 7 Texas (3,700 tons) 76 8 Michigan (2,650 tons) 77 9 Idaho (1,650 tons) 77 10 Wisconsin (1,500 tons) 77 6 Russian Federation (70,000 tons) 78 7 Ukraine (66,500 tons) 78 8 Mexico (57,000 tons) 79 9 Brazil (42,400 tons) 79 10 New Zealand (23,000 tons) 80 Chapter 7: Getting to Know 50 Varietals of Honey 81 Learning about Varietal Honeys 82 1 Acacia 82 2 Ailanthus 83 3 Alfalfa 83 4 Avocado 84 5 Basswood 85 6 Bell Heather 85 7 Blackberry 86 8 Black mangrove 86 9 Blueberry Blossom 87 10 Borage 87 11 Buckwheat 88 12 Chestnut 89 13 Coriander 89 14 Cranberry Blossom 90 15 Dandelion 90 16 Eucalyptus 91 17 Fireweed 91 18 Gallberry 92 19 Goldenrod 92 20 Honeydew 93 21 Honeysuckle 94 22 Huajillo (pronounced wa-HE-yo) 94 23 Japanese Knotweed 95 24 Kamahi (pronounced car-MY) 95 25 Kiawe (pronounced kee-AH-vay) 96 26 Kudzu 96 27 Lavender 97 28 Leatherwood 98 29 Ling Heather 98 30 Litchee 99 31 Macadamia 99 32 Manuka 100 33 Meadowfoam 101 34 Mesquite 101 35 Ohi’a Lehua 102 36 Orange Blossom 102 37 Rapeseed 103 38 Raspberry 103 39 Rhododendron 104 40 Rosemary 105 41 Sage 105 42 Saw Palmetto 106 43 Star thistle/Knapweed 106 44 Strawberry tree 107 45 Sunflower 107 46 Thyme 108 47 Tulip poplar 108 48 Tupelo 109 49 Ulmo 110 50 Yellow Sweet Clover 110 A Word about Wildflower Honey 111 Chapter 8: All That Glistens is Not Liquid Gold 113 Laundering Honey 114 Transshipping Honey 115 Removing Pollen to Conceal the Honey’s Origin 117 Blending Honeys 118 Cutting Honey 119 Intervention of Humans 120 Part 4: Becoming a Honey Tasting Expert 121 Chapter 9: Thinking Like a Honey Sommelier 123 Differentiating Taste and Flavor 124 Taste sensations 124 Flavor sensations 124 Other taste sensations 125 Are You a Supertaster? 126 The Nose Remembers 128 Describing What You Taste 128 Tuning Up Your Taste Buds and Sharpening Your Sniffer 129 Training your sense of taste 129 Refining your sense of flavor 131 Chapter 10: Knowing How to Taste Honey 133 Looking, Smelling, and Tasting: Sensory Analysis 134 Creating the Right Environment for Tasting 135 Making certain you are fresh and rested 135 Staying healthy 136 Fasting before tasting 136 Avoiding extraneous smells 136 Setting Up For Honey Tasting 137 Picking honeys to sample 138 Gathering your tasting tools 138 Getting organized using a tasting mat 139 Picking a palette cleanser 140 Writing Tasting Notes 140 Starting with a basic look-see 140 Determining liquid or solid 141 Discovering undesirable stuff 142 Evaluating clarity 142 Defining the Color of Honey 142 Smelling Your Honey 143 Profiling Honey Characteristics 145 Using the Aroma and Flavor Chart 146 Trigeminals 147 Determining the Honey’s “Finish” 148 Talking About Texture 148 Chapter 11: Taking the Terror Out Of Terroir 151 Capturing the Flavors of Local Foods 152 Ensuring quality standards 152 Certifying and protecting honeys 154 Influencing Nectar 155 Getting the Dirt on Honey (Geology) 156 Honey and Geography 157 Knowing What Weather Has to Do with It 157 Rain, rain don’t go away 157 Here comes the sun! 158 Chapter 12: Looking at What Can Go Wrong With Honey 159 Recognizing Defects 160 Burnt honey 160 The brood factor 160 Medico mayhem 160 Smoky stuff 161 Just one word — plastics! 161 Metal madness 161 Crossing Crystallization Defects 162 Incomplete crystallization 162 Crystal striping 162 Separation of honey 162 Knowing Why a Honey Tastes Like Beer 163 Part 5: Hey, Honey, Let’s Party 165 Chapter 13: Shopping for Your Honey 167 Knowing Where to Shop 167 Go straight to the source 168 Farm stands and farmers markets 168 Gourmet markets 169 Cheese shops 170 Deciphering Labels 170 Nutrition labels 171 True Source 173 Gluten-free 174 Vegan 174 Raw, natural, organic, all natural —Descriptors that mean nothing 174 GMO 175 Fair Trade Honey 176 Chapter 14: Brewing Honey Wine (Mead) 177 Discovering Mead’s Long History 178 Introducing Seven Types of Mead 179 Traditional mead 179 Sack mead 179 Hydromel 180 Bochet mead 180 Metheglin 180 Sack metheglin 180 Mead made with fruit juices 180 Getting the Necessary Mead-Making Equipment 181 Understanding Useful Mead-Making Terms 184 Chapter 15: Cooking with Honey 201 Chapter 16: Baking with Honey 223 Swapping Out Sugar for Honey 223 Checking Out Some Recipes 225 Chapter 17: Using Honey for Thirst-Quenching and Celebratory Beverages 243 Making Honey-Inspired Beverages 243 Mixing Honey-Based Cocktails 247 Gin 247 Tequila 248 Vodka 250 Scotch whisky 250 Whiskey (bourbon or rye) 253 Rum 255 Chapter 18: Pairing Honey with Cheese and Other Foods 257 Pairing Honey with Cheese 258 Understanding the dynamics of honey and cheese 259 It’s a matter of taste 259 Conjuring Creative Pairings 261 Choosing complementary duos 261 Considering that opposites attract 261 Taking texture into account 261 Staying local 262 Just go for it! 262 Considering Classic Pairings of Honey and Food 262 Chapter 19: Honey, Let’s Have a Party 265 Planning the Party 265 Deciding on the theme 266 Setting the mood 266 Assembling the Right Stuff 268 Developing Your Menu 268 Creating Honey Grazing Boards 270 Piloting Tasting Flights 270 Including Fun Honey Games 272 Trio tasting game 272 Honey spelling game 273 Show Friends How It Went 273 Part 6: The Part of Tens 275 Chapter 20: Ten Great Honey Festivals 277 Oregon Honey Festival, Ashland, Oregon 278 Philadelphia Honey Festival 278 NYC Honey Week, Rockaway Beach 278 Honey Bee Fest, New York 278 Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival, New York 279 Vermont’s Golden Honey Festival 279 Arizona Honeybee Festival, Phoenix 279 Michigan Honey Festival 279 Tennessee Honey Festival 280 Uvalde Honey Festival, Texas 280 Chapter 21: More Than Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Honey 281 What’s the best way to store honey once the jar has been opened? 282 Does honey ever spoil or go bad? 282 Why does my honey look like it has two different layers? 282 My honey has crystallized; can I get the honey liquid again? 283 What’s organic honey? 283 What’s the difference between Grade A and Grade B honey? 283 What accounts for the different colors and flavors of honey? 284 Why do honey bees make honey? 284 Is it true that eating local honey will relieve pollen-related allergies? 285 What does “raw” honey mean? 285 How can I test my honey for authenticity? 285 Why does honey from the same local beekeeper taste different sometimes? 286 Why shouldn’t you feed honey to a baby? 286 How many flowers must honey bees visit to make one pound of honey? 286 How much honey does a worker honey bee make in her lifetime? 286 What famous Scottish liqueur is made with honey? 287 What’s the U.S per capita consumption of honey? 287 How many honey-producing colonies of bees are there in the United States? 287 Do all bees make honey? 287 Chapter 22: Ten Honeys for your Bucket List 289 The Most Expensive Honey in the World: Elvish 289 Most Sacred Honey: Sidr 290 Most-Difficult-to-Get Honey: Pitcairn Island 290 Most International Awards: Sourwood 291 Most Bitter Honey: Strawberry Tree Honey 291 Psychedelic Mad Honey: Deli Bal 292 Most Unique Texture: Ling Heather Honey 292 Volcanic Honey: Wenchi 293 Silkiest Honey: Ulmo Honey 293 Most Buttery Honey: Kamahi 294 Part 7: Appendixes 295 Appendix A: Glossary 297 Appendix B: Helpful Honey Resources 305 Index 317

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Book SynopsisYou might have heard that bees are in trouble -- but in fact, the trouble is coming our way too and bees are just showing it first. The looming environmental crisis means that, as a result of modern agricultural practices and pesticide,s we may well fail to prevent honeybee collapse.Honeybees are vital to the health of our planet, and this book is designed to equip and encourage small-scale backyard beekeepers -- who may end up having the only strong, healthy honeybees left. An expert beekeeper, Jack Bresette-Mills calls his approach 'sensitive beekeeping'. He promotes beekeeping without fear, beekeeping for the sake of the bee rather than for profit, and learning to answer your own questions about beekeeping. It's an approach that takes time, practice and patience to develop, and requires physical, mental and spiritual transformation. In the long run though, it results in healthier, sustainable hives and a happier beekeeper.Trade Review'This little book differs from all the other beekeeping books I have read by inviting the reader to undertake personal development and suggests some simple exercises for enhancing thinking, feeling and willing.'-- Natural Bee Husbandry

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Book SynopsisBees make honey; we all know that. But what happens between the bee buzzing around our garden, and the sticky knife in the jar, is a mystery to most of us. How many bee-hours does it take to make just one jar of honey? What do the honeybees' waggling dances really mean? Why do bees swarm? What is a 'house bee'?From exploring their life cycle and development, to revealing their societies and behaviour, expert biodynamic beekeeper Michael Weiler answers these questions and many more.Combining poetic observations with scientific detail, The Secrets of Bees uncovers the incredible world of these remarkable insects.Trade Review'If you want to know about the lifecycle and development of the bee, this is the book for you. Written by an expert biodynamic beekeeper and combining scientific detail with poetic insight into this extraordinary and important insect.'--Paradigm Explorer'The author is not only an experienced beekeeper who looks after fifty colonies but also a committed teacher who possesses a great passion for bees and a deep understanding of their behaviour and nature...The text conveys the reader smoothly through this refreshing insight into the bees' world, the photographs, various biological illustrations, line drawings and tables are all designed to enhance the learning process from this book. On a literary note, there are also two delightful poems...to add to the reader's pleasure...Good value for money.'--Bee Keeping'Michael Weiler is an experienced beekeeper who looks after fifty colonies. He is a teacher with a great passion for bees and deep understanding of their nature. I had already begun to apply organic principles within my own beekeeping and I am now convinced that the biodynamic route is the one I shall take.'-- Philip Chandler of the Wholesome Food Association, in Star and Furrow, after participating in a day-course on 'The Nature of Bees and Biodynamic Beekeeping' with Michael Weiler organised by the BDAA'Informed by a Goethean perspective, this fascinating book about the life cycle of a bee tells the reader all they need to know about the subject.'--Scientific and Medical Network Review'This delightful and detailed little book takes us on a wonderful journey through the beekeeping year...The outline of the Demeter Beekeeping Guidelines at the back of the book will be especially useful to beekeepers considering how they can best work with their bees.'-- Sue Peat, The Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain Newsletter'If you're an experienced bee-keeper wishing to know your bees better, and more so if you're one that likes to share the art of bee keeping with fellow human beings, then this little book shows how!! The writer, Co-director of the Demeter association in Germany, takes us by the hand on a wonderful journey through the beekeeping year.'--Star and Furrow'From poetic opening lines to a royal jelly finale this wonderful book has been written from the heart-mind of a man who truly loves his bees. Readers may feel themselves transported to stand beside the beekeeper, accompanying him as he tends to his hive. Which is of course the book's defining strength. Well illustrated with excellent photographs and clear diagrams.'-- Harvests Magazine

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Book SynopsisModern beekeeping, influenced by new technologies and breeding methods, has increased honey production but left bee colonies weak and vulnerable to disease. With the alarming decline of the bee population raising concerns about an impending ecological crisis, many beekeepers are seeking a more sustainable way of caring for bees.Biodynamic Beekeeping is the first book to offer practical instruction on caring for bees using biodynamic theories and methods. By considering the influence of the movement of the stars and the planets on the bees' natural habits, biodynamics encourages beekeepers to be more in tune with their bees indicating, for example, the best days on which to inspect colonies or gather honey. This fascinating book offers beekeepers detailed advice and instruction on how to work more holistically, including:-- the challenges and advantages of breeding queen bees-- how to artificially induce swarming to propagate colonies-- how to use biodynamic ashing techniques to combat varroa mites-- instructions for making winter-feed according to current biodynamic thinkingTrade Review'David Heaf has prepared this excellent and clear translation, enabling an English-reading audience to access for the first time this biodynamic approach, and translating into modern beekeeping practice Rudolf Steiner’s indications on the essential nature of the honey bee... Plenty of interesting ideas for the thinking beekeeper!'-- Bees for Development Journal'This book is ideal for the conventional beekeeper who wants to convert to biodynamic methods or for the biodynamic beekeeper who wants to learn more.'--CygnusTable of ContentsForeword by David Heaf1. The Start of the Bee Year2. Caring for Bees According to Cosmic Rhythms3. The First Spring Inspection4. The Building Frame5. The Urge to Swarm6. Colony Regeneration and Propogation7. Breeding Queen Bees8. Honeycomb Construction9. Honey10. Feeding in Winter11. Bee Diseases12. Methods of Ash Usage13. The Cultivation of Plants for Bees14. The Conservation of Bees for the FutureBibliography and Recommended ReadingIndex

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