Beekeeping for Dummies (For Dummies Series)

"Beekeeping for Dummies" by Howland Blackiston is an excellent resource for the beginner. I am an aspiring beekeeper in Florida and recently ordered my first hive and package of bees -- they'll arrive later this spring. I knew absolutely nothing about bees or beekeeping, and have no mentor to provide tutorials or support. I watched hours of beekeeping videos on the internet which gave me a decent feel for the hobby, but I needed a comprehensive text to learn many of the fine points. After reading Amazon reviews for many beekeeping how-to guides, I settled on two: this one and "The Complete Step-by-Step Book of Beekeeping" by David Cramp (I reviewed that book separately). In my opinion, Blackiston's "Dummies" is wonderfully easy to read and contains the correct amount of detail without bogging down in esoterica. For example, I learned that a poultry watering device with pebbles in the water (to keep bees from falling in and drowning) will provide a necessary source of water. Alternatively, his watering pail with styrofoam "pebbles" is ingenious. The book is packed with similar sparkling tidbits, e.g.: 1) honey supers are put on the hive about eight weeks after you first install your bees and, in the second year, honey supers are placed on the hive when the first spring flowers start to bloom; 2) use special spacers along the frame rails to space out 9 honey frames equally instead of 10 (the little extra space between frames allows the bees to draw the comb much deeper resulting in more honey in nine frames than there would have been in ten); and 3) dust hands with baby powder before inspections because bees seem to like the smell and it helps keep hands clean. There are wonderfully detailed instructions on how to install your first package of bees in the hive. The "7/10 Rule" is quite helpful, i.e. when 7 of the 10 first deep frames are drawn into comb, add a second deep; when 7 out of 10 of those are drawn into comb, add a honey super; and when 7 of those 10 are drawn into comb, add a second honey super. The book is packed with such practical advice. There are step-by-step recipes for making various supplemental syrups, photos of normal and diseased hives, how to open a hive, and how to rotate a frame in hand during inspection. There's an informative summary table entitled "Beekeeping Calendar" that lists monthly activities according to climate zone (check food reserves, feed colony if capped honey is low, reverse hive bodies, feed a pollen substitute, medicate for AFB, EFB, and nosema, etc.). I live in the warmest Zone D, and was surprised by how different -- and often unexpected -- Zone D recommended activities are compared to the other three zones in the United States. This book is written in a crisp, engaging, very informative style and is illustrated with excellent photos and drawings. Highly recommended for the neophyte.

My first bee keeping book was "The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden" by Kim Slottum, which came with my garden hive starter kit. I am going in to my second year of bee keeping, and I ordered "Beekeeping for Dummies" before I installed my 2nd and 3rd hives. It is an excellent book to get a different perspective on the hobby of bee keeping. It is easy to understand and doesn't talk over your head as some books I have seen. The book discusses and array of topics including: the insect itself, equipment, what to look for when doing hive inspections, diseases and pests, honey extraction, making Meade, and recipes for liquid gold. It was a very easy and quick read. As I was reading the book I "dog-eared" many topics to references to at a later date. I would recommend this book for beginners, but don't expect to walk away from this read as a "master beekeeper."

I recently killed hundreds of bees under my workshed because they had build a hive under it through an airway. Couldn't have that now, could I....Still some survived and clustered around an aparant queenless colony wondering what next, on my rooftop. I called a beekeeper and he came and scooped them up into his portable hive and chastised me for such ignorant behavior...And he is a priest to boot. Right then and then, I became a bee advocate. I'm sure I don't need to launch into the rapidly decreasing numbers of honeybees today, since if you're reading this, you already probably know. But being a newly baptized advocate and a physicist as well, I therefore suffer from both ignorance and arrogance. So what better book than "Beekeeping for Dummies". A. very informative ---- all new to me and dusted with a touch of humor...the author has been around B. Often repeats himself from Chapter to Chapter and not sure why unless he knows I'm ignorant or he just plain forgets..Thus a 4 . C. I crosschecked a lot of his info with real live beekeepers, and tadaa...he's right on D. So should you buy the book? Yes... And if you can wait three months for a less than novice OPINION,,, I would recommend it.. I now have new bees, new queen, and a whole new set of problems with the dog, and the sun, and fiercely protective girls.. By the way, learn how to use your smoker ...it's a great tool but not a whole bunch of info as to temp, and amount and what to burn and how to burn it....also not a g reat deal in this book on it..If you are a pure academic and don't plan to raise bees, just talk about them as if you knew everything, this probably isn't the book for you

"Beekeeping For Dummies" by Howland Blackiston Book Review by Jay Gilbertson Though I would hardly suggest that if you are indeed a beekeeper, that you're a dummy, for me this wonderful book was just the right place to begin a new (and really sticky) hobby. Since author Howland Blackiston has been an actual beekeeper for over 20 years, I felt that alone was enough proof that the guy knows his bees. Boy does he! The layout of this particular beekeeping guide was the real deal-clincher when trying to find the one-and-only. There's an enormous collection to choose from and since this is truly my first stab at beekeeping, this book laid out a practical foundation. Blackiston takes you through the process from picking up your bees, to setting up a bee apiary (or bee yard), observing your hive from spring through summer, to fall honey harvesting and wintertime's slumber. Of course, Blackiston reminds you, that though the bees rarely leave the hive in the winter, the worker bees are working like crazy to keep the queen warm and make sure her every need is met. One of the many great surprises about Blackiston's approach was that throughout the book he tosses in a great deal of history as well as oodles of useful hints and advice from just where to put your hive, to different methods of harvesting honey, to properly tucking in your hive(s) for winter. Some of the more interesting facts are that beekeeping has been around for at least 5 thousand years, yet not until October 30, 1851 did the actual practice of beekeeping become a more standardized, and thus teachable, trade/hobby due to a fellow named Langstroth. Reverend Landstroth was the one responsible for devising the interchangeable hives that are still in use today. As with any all-inclusive guide such as this, there are a few things that disappointed. The main issue I have is that Blackiston doesn't suggest many alternatives to drugs for disease management. I have always been leery of jumping on the medication train especially since I have learned (from local Beekeeping expert; Bee-Bob-Wright) that there are some really successful techniques available. Such as using powdered sugar to rid your bees of the pesky Varroa Mites instead of the more aggressive approach using chemicals such as fluvalinate or coumaphos. With names like that, wouldn't you be a bit apprehensive seeing as everything that goes into your hive, ends up in the honey? One aspect of beekeeping that Blackiston does really hammer home is the need for more of us (hint, hint) to consider becoming beekeepers. The reason we need more hives is the mysterious onset of the yet-to-be solved issue of CCD or Colony Collapse Disorder. In short, CCD is the strange phenomenon of an entire hive of bees simply--one day for no apparent reason--disappearing. A literal army of apiculture extension specialists, researchers, and government officials has come together to work on CCD. Here are some numbers to consider as to how dang important bees are to us as gardeners and farmers: * Apple tree without bees--25 apples/tree--with honey bees--1,200 apples * Alfalfa without bees--62 lbs. seed/acre--with honey bees--220 lbs. seed/acre Beekeeping isn't just for dummies, and I don't know about you, but I can't imagine a summer without them. For more information on CCD research: [...] or [...] Wisconsin Bee-formation: [...]

If you are looking to start beekeeping, this is a great book to start with. The author uses great style and humor in his writing of this book. You will not want to put it down. The book is organized well and gives a good supply of reference sites at the end of the book. Be advised that this is a beginners book, and there are many things that are not covered in this book. It is a great first book to get you started. You will have the knowledge to start keeping bees by the end of the book. The only thing I did not like was the author plugging his own website for buying keekeeping supplies and equipment. His site is probably the most expensive on the web. High quality, but expensive. On the positive side, his employees are only a phone call away if you need a question answered.

I have my hive built and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my first package bees! I did a fair amount of bee research before picking up this book, including attending a meeting of my local beekeeping club (join one, they are invaluable!). They recommended this book to me, and I can see why they did. It has a lot of good information! I feel confident that my bees will grow successfully into a healthy, thriving, honey-producing colony thanks to advice I got from this book. And I also feel confident that when I go out to inspect the colony, I will know what to look for and what to do, and how to handle a problem that might arise. But like anything else, don't rely on just one source of information. I also purchased The Beekeeper's Handbook by Diana Sammataro, and I like that one as well. I like the Handbook's instruction for package bee installation better (it keeps more bees in the hive and kills fewer), but I like the Dummies medication schedule better (it should ward off any large problems without over-medicating, but the Handbook would have you throwing medicines at the bees all the time). You don't want your bees to get sick, but the Handbook method seemed akin to keeping a healthy child on antibiotics all the time "just in case." No, thank you. I will medicate my bees, because not doing so would be foolish, but I don't want drugged-out bees making honey I can't eat. Get this book (get both that I mentioned).

I read this and the Beekeeper's Handbook. Beekeeping for Dummies is by far the better of the two. The information in this book is complete, well organized and easy to read. In addition, it will get you excited about the new hobby. I was amazed at how much of the information I retained, which is a testimony to the effectiveness of the writing. My friends and family are impressed not only with my passion for beekeeping, but with my knowledge as I await the spring to begin this new adventure. Both my passion and knowledge were greatly enhanced from reading this book. I think this book is a must read for all new beekeepers.

This is a valuable book for the beginning or experienced beekeeper. Don't let the title fool you, this is an in depth book in the life of a hive and a potential beekeeper. This book is easy to read and covers all aspects of beekeeping. The author is a beekeeper himself and is active in the beekeeping world. The author pulls no punches, he covers all of the possible issues relating to diseases and remedies, how to build and maintain your own beehives, Handle all phases of honey production, Use the latest tools and equipment. He explores the theories behind and the environment, economic, and societal impact of Colony Collapse Disorder

Ich habe in diesem Jahr mit der Bienenhaltung begonnen. Auf der Suche nach einem umfassenden und einfach verständlichem Buch bin ich auf diese - leider nur in englisch erhaltbare Version - "Bienenhaltung für Dummies" gestossen. Es enthält alles, was man für den Anfang wissen muss und ist leicht verständlich. Zudem versteht es der Autor, zu begeistern. Ich empfinde es als umfangreicher als die Bücher, die ich im deutschsprachigen Raum erhalten kann. Also, wer es sich zutraut ein wenig in englisch zu schmökern - unbedingt kaufen!

Une bonne livre qui touchent à toutes les sujets principales autour des abeilles. Dommage qu'il n'y a pas de référence aux fournisseurs Européans, (uniquement des fournisseurs des Etats Unis).

Great Book on Beekeeping

Very informative from start to finish,i just keep using it.

I bought this book prior to me starting bee keeping. It's a wealth of information and has enabled me to collect over 90 kg of honey in my first season. It's a great source of information for anyone starting out into beekeeping and one I keep with me always. It is designed for the USA market but with other publications available for your own country it doesn't really make any problems. The information is great for anyone starting out. A good book to have in your library for day to day running of a hive and the equipment needed. The recipes are yummy too! Thanks.