Product Description

Believe it or not, bees are one of the oldest species of domesticated animals. Archeologists have found evidence of beekeeping, or apiculture, in the Middle East dating back more than five thousand years. If you’ve ever tasted good clover honey, it’s not hard to understand why. But it’s not just for the honey that more than 125,000 people (and growing) in the United States, alone, keep hives. Anyone interested in nature can’t help but be fascinated by those buzzing yellow bundles of energy and the exotic world they inhabit, with all its weird rituals and incredible efficiency. Also, dedicated gardeners appreciate the extra bounty that pollinating bees bring to their fruits, flowers, and vegetable gardens.

In this easy–to–follow guide, Howland Blackiston, one of the nation’s most respected authorities on the subject, takes the mystery (and the sting) out of beekeeping. Taking a step–by–step approach to successful backyard beekeeping, he gets you up and running with all the information you need to:

• Build a hive
• Establish your first colony
• Inspect your hives with confidence
• Maintain healthy colonies
• Deal with pests and fix common problems
• Harvest and enjoy fresh homemade honey
• Bottle and market your honey

Howland Blackiston covers all the bases, from bee anatomy, society, and behavior, to identifying and healing common illnesses afflicting bees. He also offers inventive solutions to most common and many uncommon problems you’re likely to run into. Among other things, you’ll discover:

• Where to put your hive, basic equipment you’ll need, and how to assemble a hive
• The best and safest way to inspect and enjoy your bees
• Year–round tasks a beekeeper must perform to maintain a healthy colony
• How to recognize and deal with common problems with brood production and the precious queen
• How to harvest honey and decide what kind of honey you’d like to make
• Making products from beeswax and propolis

For both fun and profit, beekeeping has become a booming enterprise. A real honey of a book, Beekeeping For Dummies gets you on the road to enjoying this ancient, highly–rewarding, and oh–so–tasty hobby.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #174256 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From the Back Cover
"The information a beginner needs to keep bees with confidence." Kim Flottum, Bee Culture Magazine "A reader–friendly guide to beekeeping for novices or beginners." Dewey M. Caron, Professor of Entomology, University of Delaware

A honey of a book on an increasingly popular hobby

For both enjoyment and profit, beekeeping has become a booming enterprise. In this easy–to–follow guide, author Howland Blackiston removes the mystery from this pastime, offering inventive solutions to many common — and uncommon dilemmas. Realize the benefits of keeping bees, from aiding the environment to enjoying homemade honey and wax products. For more plain–English advice, see:

The Dummies Way^® Explanations in plain English "Get in , get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear–out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

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About the Author
Howland Blackiston is the president and co–owner of www.beecommerce.com, and a beekeeper with over 20 years experience. He is a well known media advocate for keeping bees.

Customer Reviews

Warning - Bears
This is a super book, I am a beginer and although this book is limited in detail it is idea for the beginer.

This book concentrates on one type of Hive, the lanstroth, which world wide is the most popular hive, but in the UK most beekeepers use the national, but this make no diffrence at all they are based on the same principals.

It gives you practical advice, on silly things that you dont want to ask, i.e. how do you start your smoker and, what is a smoker.

The book is very easy to read and comprehensive, for keeping bees on a small scale this is the book I would happily recormend, and fequently refer to.

If you do really get into bees the British Bee Keepers (to whom i now belong) recormended reading - Ted Hoopers Bees & honey. This is the next stage, this book covers everything there is, although again you will find that most of the bee keepers will frequently disagree with both books.

Oh and the bears, this is refered to as a common problem it appears that bears do like honey. The book is rather clear on this that you should protect your hives from bears.

Great but avoid as american
This is a well written book, has some great pictures (really), is easy to read and is informative, BUT:
If this is the only book you read on bee keeping then you will really come unstuck as some much of the language, equipment, contacts and so on are only valid for America. You actually only get to read half a book as there is something on every page that does apply to the UK. In case you don't know UK bee keeping let me give you a list:
- The UK uses different types of hives to the US, and there are different options in the UK and you need to know what they are
- There system for keeping their hives is different to the UK
- In the US they sell bees in 3lb packages with a queen, in the UK bees tend to come in Nucleus, or from swarms
- All the information about the BBKA, local associations etc is wrong/missing
- Their seasons, flowers, crops and so on are different to ours
- Their support systems for disease and inspection is different
- They ventilate their hives differently
- and so on.

So you can read and enjoy this book but please dont make it the first and only one you read. And if you know anything about keeping bees in the UK you will find yourself filtering the American stuff out all the time.

Beekeeping for Dummies
I always thought that the Howells series were for techno dudes. So I was amazed to see this title. And what an excellent surprise it is. This is one of the best guides to the keeping of bees, anywhere in the world, I've read. It's informative, honest, helpful and entertaining. Thus making bee keeping an achievable and enjoyable pastime. Everyone should read this, even if you don't ever get the bees.