Apiculture (beekeeping) Books

Book SynopsisExperience the joy of keeping bees and learn more about hive styles, pest management, harvesting honey, modern uses for beeswax, and so much more! Are you considering becoming a beekeeper, or ever wondered what it would be like to have your own beehives? Maybe you want to produce fresh honey for your family, or increase the yield of your garden through better pollination. Master Beekeeper Charlotte Anderson gives you all the fundamentals of becoming a successful beekeeper and more in Buzz into Beekeeping. Learn how to: Choose the best type of beehive Buy bees Keep your colony healthy Prepare your bees for winter And so much more! Avoid the beekeeping mistakes made by many new beekeepers and help save this important pollinator.

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Book SynopsisA year in the life of New York City?s premier beekeeper, who chronicles his adventures and the quirky personalities he encounters while spreading his infinite knowledge of and passion for the remarkable honey bee?Cote?s charming and poignant essay collection delivers the entertainment and smarts required to make real change in how we look at our planet, and ourselves.??Andrew ZimmernFrom the humble drone to the fittingly named worker to the queen herself?who is more a slave than a monarch?the hive world, Andrew Coté reveals, is full of strivers and slackers, givers and takers, and even some insect promiscuity (startlingly similar to the prickly human variety). Written with Coté?s trademark humor, acumen, and a healthy dose of charm, Honey and Venom illuminates the obscure culture of New York City ?beeks? and the biology of the bees themselves for both casual readers and bee enthusiasts.Coté takes readers with him on his daily apiary adventures over the course of a year, in the city and across the globe. In Manhattan, among his many duties, he is called to capture swarms that have clustered on fire hydrants, air-conditioning units, or street-vendor umbrellas. Beyond maneuvering within a metropolitan populace as frenzied as the bees?, Coté is able to escape from the hive mind and the rigors of city dwelling with his philanthropic, international approach to apiculture. Annually, he travels to regions across the world with his organization, Bees Without Borders, where he teaches beekeepers how to increase their honey yield and income via beekeeping endeavors. For Coté, a fourth-generation beekeeper, this is a family tradition, and this personal significance pervades his celebration of the romance and mystery of bees, their honey, and the beekeepers whose lives revolve around these most magical creatures.

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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 Synopsis'Go on, have a flutter! Take a few tips from the new book by biologist Dave Goulson and it's a safe bet that beautiful butterflies will start gathering in your garden' Daily MailFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Sting In The Tale comes this practical guide to creating a paradise for pollinators.There are twenty six different species of bumblebees to be found in the UK, of around 250 species worldwide. Bumblebees are among the most important of our insects; these superb pollinators ensure that wildflowers set seed and reappear each year, and that our vegetable and fruit crops give us bountiful harvests. With the decline in the populations of our wild bees, these beloved creatures need looking after more than ever.Gardening for Bumblebees shows you how you can provide a refuge for bumblebees to feed, breed and thrive. No matter how large or small your space is, Dave Goulson shows you how you can make a pollinator-friendly haven. In this book you will learn the best trees, shrubs and flowers for pollinators, how to create the perfect nest and breeding site, and the best ways to control pests. Gardening For Bumblebees will encourage and inspire gardeners and allotmenters alike to make their patch more bee friendly.Praise for Dave Goulson'Ideal for filling the garden with a happy hum'Tiffany Daneff, Country Life'Goulson reminds himself that he 'began studying bumblebees not because they are important pollinators but because they are fascinating, because they behave in interesting and mysterious ways, and because they are rather loveable'Hannah Rosefield, Literary ReviewTrade ReviewIdeal for filling the garden with a happy hum -- Tiffany Daneff * Country Life *Go on, have a flutter! Take a few tips from the new book by biologist Dave Goulson and it's a safe bet that beautiful butterflies will start gathering in your garden * Daily Mail *[Goulson's] fascination with bumblebees and other pollinators is infectious... This book might open your eyes - and gardens - to the myriad mini-wonders that too often go unnoticed -- Catherine Smalley * Gardens Illustrated *Dave Goulson's beautifully presented and illustrated Gardening for Bumblebees...will tell you how to save the world. Literally. One penstemon at a time -- Brian Morton * Tablet *

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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 SynopsisDiscover the joys of harvesting honey from your own backyard. Alethea Morrison outlines what you’ll need to know to make it through the first year, while stunning macrophotography by Mars Vilaubi brings the inner workings of the hive to life. With in-depth discussions of allergies, colony hierarchy, bee behavior, and more, this approachably informative guide bursts with enthusiastic encouragement. Keep your own bees, and enjoy the sweet buzz.

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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 SynopsisHoney is among the oldest food products of mankind and beekeeping is deeply rooted in every European culture, which is why quality regulation is strict and numerous European and national regulations control honey quality. Yet in an environment with increasing chemical pollution and the wide use of agrochemicals, honey runs high risks of becoming chemically polluted. This is why the BEE SHOP, a network of nine leading European honeybee research groups in honey quality, pathology, genetics and behaviour was established. This book examines these research teams and their shared common interest of promoting Europe''s high honey quality standards.

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Book SynopsisSave time and money by building your own beekeeping equipment. Learn to craft equipment that is tailored to your particular climate and setup. Full of insightful tips and covering a variety of hive types, Pisano includes all the basic infrastructure you need to keep your bees happy and active — and your pantry full of honey.

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Book SynopsisThis trusted handbook is a must-have for novice and seasoned beekeepers alike. Now totally redesigned and featuring color photos and graphics, the second edition also includes up-to-date information on honey bee health. The go-to reference presents comprehensive yet accessible information on everything from planning hives and installing a colony to preventing disease and managing productive hives that will bear bountiful honey harvests year after year.

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Book SynopsisIn the last few years, with increasing frequency, modern medicine directs attention to natural products with biological and therapeutic properties and their use in clinical practice. The major arguments for implementing natural products, such as honey, are low cost and the absence of antimicrobial resistance risk. This book presents original current research and clinical results on the leading edge of honey research. Topics discussed include the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of honey; possible anticancer and anti-diabetic properties of honey; immunomodulatory effects of honey on cutenous and immune cells during wound healing process; topical applications of honey and the use of honey in the treatment of burns, non-healing wounds and eye diseases.

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Book SynopsisDiscover whether honey beekeeping is right for you and find out everything you need to know to keep and acquire bees in this comprehensive guide. Honey Bee Hobbyist, 2nd Edition counsels the beginning beekeeper on all things honeybee related, from observing your first hive to harvesting your own honey. Beekeeping isn't just for the professional farmer—bees can be kept in any situation from simple backyards and rooftops to large expanses of farmland. Discover whether honey beekeeping is right for you, and find out everything you need to know to keep and acquire bees in this updated guide. Honey Bee Hobbyist, 2nd Edition will help novice beekeepers fully understand this enthralling pastime. Dr. Norman Gary, a world-renowned honey bee expert and enthusiast, counsels beginners on all things honeybee related. He takes readers from finding bees and housing them to collecting honey and using their produce for pleasure and possible profit. With more than 100 fascinating colour photographs and tips and tricks acquired over half a century of beekeeping, this practical handbook is your first step toward a wonderful and rewarding lifelong hobby.

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Book SynopsisIn both ancient and modern civilisations, honey represents a natural product of great importance with many functional applications. Honey is used simply as a sweetener and is known as a food with significant nutritional properties and as a natural product with valuable therapeutic applications, due to its biological effects, such as an antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory and antiviral. This book focuses on the production, consumption and health benefits of honey and discusses the impact of different honey types on the content of trace materials, composition of phenolic and flavonoid antioxidant activity contributing to human health; high performance liquid chromatography determination of antibiotics in honey; phenolic compounds in honey as health promoters; quality control of honey using spectroscopic methods and medicalisation of honey.

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Book SynopsisFrom crayons to cough drops, cookies to candles, Beehive Alchemy offers a comprehensive introduction to incorporating the miracle of bees into everyday life.Beehive Alchemy is a continuation of Petra Ahnert's best-selling Beeswax Alchemy. With this new book, beekeepers (and bee lovers) will learn about the benefits and attributes of beeswax, honey, propolis, and more alongside a full range of projects and techniques to process and harness the amazing gifts of bees. Inside, you'll find instructions to make Ahnert's award-winning hand-dipped birthday candles, the classic French dessert canele bordelais, and much more, including:Alchemy for the Body Liquid soap with honey Beard balm Olive and honey lotion Alchemy of Light Taper candles Tea lights Pillars Alchemy for the Home Furniture polish Waxed cotton food wraps Woodcutter incense Alchemy in the Studio Beeswax crayons Encaustic Batik Alchemy in the Kitchen Cookies and candies Beverages Fermentations Whether you keep bees or just love them, Beehive Alchemy will become your go-to comprehensive guide for hive-to-home creations.

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Book SynopsisThis indispensable beekeeping reference—packed with helpful diagrams, color photos, and easy-to-follow yet thorough instruction—gently guides you through setting up and caring for your first colonies. Are you an absolute beginner when it comes to keeping bees? With First Time Beekeeping, help is at hand. Featuring the sage advice of Bee Culture editor emeritus and best-selling author of The Backyard Beekeeper Kim Flottum, this is your step-by-step guide to healthy, happy, and productive hives. This complete resource features expert beginner advice for: Setting up and caring for your own colonies Selecting the best location to place your new bee colonies for their safety and yours The most practical and nontoxic ways to care for your bees Harvesting the products of a beehive and collecting and using honey Bee problems and treatments By following this advice, your colony or two of honey bees can pollinate the vegetables in your garden; produce wonderful honey and other beneficial products; and help your local ecosystem thrive. What could be sweeter? Each book in the First Time series distills how-to guidance and advice from an expert on a specific topic into targeted step-by-step instruction geared toward the absolute beginner.Table of ContentsPREFACE INTRODUCTION 1 STARTING RIGHT GETTING STARTED BEEYARDS OTHER THAN BACKYARDS EQUIPMENT: TOOLS OF THE TRADE THE BEES 2 ABOUT BEES THE QUEEN THE WORKERS FORAGERS DRONES 3 ABOUT BEEKEEPING LIGHTING YOUR SMOKER PACKAGE MANAGEMENT KEEPING RECORDS OPENING A COLONY INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT MALADIES COMB HONEY AND CUT-COMB HONEY SUMMERTIME CHORES LATE SUMMER HARVEST FALL AND WINTER MANAGEMENT EARLY SPRING INSPECTIONS RESOURCES ABOUT THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PHOTOGRAPHER CREDITS INDEX

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Book SynopsisWith Common Sense Natural Beekeeping, learn to keep bees sustainably with limited chemical or human intervention. Today’s bees face unprecedented challenges. Chemical treatments for pests like the ubiquitous and deadly varroa mite have become standard even as resistance to such treatments grows and evidence suggests the chemical treatments themselves are contributing to the widely discussed Colony Collapse Disorder.Common Sense Natural Beekeeping offers beekeepers a different choice. Based on expert advice from Kim Flottom, editor emeritus of Bee Culture magazine and best-selling author of The Backyard Beekeeper, this book teaches holistic, sensible alternatives to conventional apiary practices, and includes: Lessons from the way bees live in the wild Management strategies that respect the natural intelligence of the bee Hive design elements that promote colony health and resilience Case studies highlighting successful natural beekeepers from around the world Beekeepers today have myriad choices to make that affect their bees’ health and productivity. From housing to nutrition, including pests and diseases, Common Sense Natural Beekeeping introduces sustainable alternatives for natural hive management.

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Book SynopsisBees, both commercially managed honey bees and wild bees, play an important role in global food production. In the United States alone, the value of insect pollination to U.S. agricultural production is estimated at $16 billion annually, of which about three-fourths is attributable to honey bees. Worldwide, the contribution of bees and other insects to global crop production for human food is valued at about $190 billion. Given the importance of honey bees and other bee species to food production, many have expressed concern about whether a pollinator crisis has been occurring in recent decades. Over the past few decades there has been heightened concern about the plight of honey bees as well as other bee and pollinator species. This book provides a background on bee health. It also discusses the role of pesticides in bee health and provides guidance to risk assessors for evaluating the potential risk of pesticides to bees, particularly honey bees.

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Book SynopsisBees are eusocial insects with highly successful cosmopolitan distribution. Honeybees contribute substantially to the worldwide healthy economy and food security as pollinators. On-going and well-documented declines and losses in managed honeybee colonies represent one of the current threats to insect crop pollination service. This book begins with a review on the genetic structure of dark European honey bee population in the Ural. Chapter two studies the use for feeding the honey bees by sugar syrup with ethanol extract from 15 medicinal plants. Chapter three focuses on three diseases causing enormous colony losses, and offers a wide range of management options mainly including organic acids, microbial metabolites, and bioactive phytochemicals derivate from plants. Chapter four examines findings on honeybee immunity. Chapter five describes the nutritional property of the honeybee larvae as foods or supplements and its medicinal property for some symptoms. Chapter six reviews the behavioral and physiological responses to the profitability of food sources in individual foragers and their consequences at a colony level. The last chapter examines the trends in categories of scholarly and professional journal articles written, and the likelihood of finding honeybee-related research articles.

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Book SynopsisWherever flowering plants flourish, pollinating bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and other animals are hard at work, providing vital but often unnoticed services. But many pollinators are in serious decline in the United States and worldwide. Preventing continued losses of our country''s pollinators requires immediate national attention, as pollinators play a critical role in maintaining diverse ecosystems and in supporting agricultural production. Some three-fourths of all native plants in the world require pollination by an animal, most often an insect, and most often a native bee. Pollinators, most often honey bees, are also responsible for one in every three bites of food we take, and increase our nation''s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars. Unabated, these losses of our pollinators threaten agricultural production, the maintenance of natural plant communities, and the important services provided by those ecosystems, such as carbon cycling, flood and erosion control, and recreation. This book discusses national strategies and research action plans to improve the health of honey bees and other pollinators.

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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 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 SynopsisHelp your hive thrive with this guide to beekeeping for new-bees. Wouldn''t it be great to raise your own bees, have a fresh supply of honey, and bring thousands of healthy pollinators into your yard? Beekeeping for Beginners is a simple, step-by-step guide that helps you learn the fundamentals of modern beekeeping. You (and your bees) will be buzzing with delight. From picking the right hive and bringing your bees home to surviving winter and collecting honey, experienced beekeeper Amber Bradshaw takes you on an easy-to-follow journey through your first year of beekeeping and beyond. Beekeeping for Beginners includes: Just the essentialsLearn everything you need to know to begin your first colonywritten with brand new beekeepers in mind. Modern beekeepingStart your colony off right with guides that feature the newest practices and current, natural approaches. Learn to speak beeClearly defined terms and a complete glossary will have you talking like a pro beekeeper in no time. Begin your beekeeping the right wayand avoid getting stung by mistakeswith Beekeeping for Beginners.

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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 SynopsisBeekeeping is nothing new—the ancient Egyptians were well versed in the benefits of living with bees—but in recent years, there has been a surge of folks struck with the desire to build and nurture a hive of their own. Beekeeping has become the passion of farmers in rural Vermont, urbanites with rooftops in LA, and thousands of people in between. This book is for beginners and experts alike, with all the basic information you need to get started, as well as stories and tips that will inspire and instruct the most seasoned beekeeper.In this guide, you will learn how to:Choose a spot for your hiveBuild a hive with simple tools and materialsBuy bees or attract them to your hiveHarvest the fruits of the bees’ laborMake beeswax candles and lip balmUtilize honey, wax, and propolis for medicinal purposesAnd much more!Cummings offers readers something truly unique—a book that comes alongside you like a wise friend, offering sage advice as well as humorous anecdotes and fascinating interviews with beekeepers across the country. Equally good for reading while curled up inside during the long winter as for carrying with you to the hives mid-summer, this will be a welcome addition to any bee enthusiast’s library.

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Book SynopsisThis multifaceted book offers insight into everything bee-related: pollination, gardening, beekeeping and recipes. Whether you’re a first-time beekeeper or looking to improve and expand your backyard beekeeping, this book is a must-have. Beekeeping might seem exotic or old-fashioned, but around the world it is becoming more and more common to find a hive or two in urban spaces and suburban backyards. Some modern beekeepers are inspired by the desire to help out the frequently beleaguered creatures, others simply enjoy fresh honey from the most local of sources—the backyard garden. This book discusses your options for setting up a hive almost anywhere, how to plant a bee-friendly garden, and how to harvest and use your very own honey. Not only is it a great hobby, you’ll also be rewarded with a plentiful supply of honey that you can use in tea as well as for cooking, baking and perhaps even lip salve and skin cream. Everything the modern day beekeeper needs and more: Becoming a Beekeeper Setting Up Your Hive Getting the Right Gear Planting a Bee-Friendly Garden Trouble-Shoot Your Hive Harvest the Honey Plan for the Winter The honeybee is one of our greatest natural resources; bees work hard to pollinate our gardens and do an important job that we couldn’t do without. But bees are finding it increasingly difficult in the world that they share with us. States are reporting a hive of activity in the ‘backyards’ of rural and urban beekeepers. In fact, many states are beginning to alter preexisting ordinances in order to encourage more individuals to start beekeeping.   No other hobby can simultaneously help save the world and bring sweet treats to your table!

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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 SynopsisCornell university estimates that 14 billion dollars' worth of seed in the USA is pollinated by bees. Therefore, an extinction of bees would cause an economic and food security catastrophe. With this kind of emphasize on the need for bees in the ecosystem the study of bees (apiculture) is quite important. This apiculture book helps the reader understand bees in detail and using diagrams ad illustrations explains beekeeping. The book shows the bee parts, bee types and beehive types. The book further explores and discusses safety precautions and bee equipment. The book also tackles apiary management, in regards to general management practices, maintenance and colony management. In addition, bee nutrition is discussed per season with proper tips on bee nutrition requirement and best honey plants and pollen plants. Another aspect that is well covered is bee's pest and diseases, here a the most economically important pest and diseases are well discussed, there symptoms and their biological, chemical and physical control. To finalize, the book looks at beekeeping with common bee species, end products, management and marketing. This book is a good source of information for all levels of beekeepers from professional to beginner and smallholder to large scale bee farming.Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction to Apiculture Chapter 2 Honeybees Chapter 3 Beekeeping Equipment Chapter 4 Apiary Management Chapter 5 Bee Nutrition Chapter 6 Bee Pest and Diseases Chapter 7 Beekeeping with Common Species

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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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Book SynopsisBees existed long before human beings, but our future is perhaps more reliant upon them than any other species. They pollinate 80 per cent of the world’s crops and plants, but how much do we really know about them? Small, clever and mysterious, the honeybee in particular has long been celebrated in human culture as a sacred insect, a symbol of the sun, bridging the gap between our world and the next. They are expert communicators, skilled aviators and natural alchemists, turning fresh nectar into sweet, golden honey. They are also in trouble and need our help. This beautifully illustrated guide explores the honeybee’s historic relationship with humans, the basics of beekeeping, and how we can help save the bees' dwindling population.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Honeybee and its Colony The First Beekeepers The Evolution of Beekeeping Beekeeping Heritage Bees and the Environment Honeybee Produce Further Reading Places to Visit Index

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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 SynopsisWe need bees. And they need us. This small, informative and engaging guide to these terrific, tiny creatures will captivate and inspire readers of all ages. Discover the fascinating story of these marvels of nature with this perfect pocket guide, here to celebrate all things bee. Learn about their beehaviours, why they are under threat and how they are essential to our existence. From tips to help identify different species to bee habitats and folklore, this is the ideal companion for any bee lover looking to protect the future of our furry little friends. Inside you’ll find: Fascinating facts about all kinds of bees (did you know there are over 20,000 different species?) The essential place bees hold in our ecosystem and the countless benefits we gain from their existence Positive steps we can all take to tackle the serious decline of these incredible insects A variety of recipes and crafts, from easy honey cake to eco-friendly beeswax wraps

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