Beekeeping For Dummies

The single best and most comprehensive guide for prospective, new and experienced hobbyist beekeepers

Beekeeping For Dummies, 5th Edition, is one of the most popular titles in the For Dummies series available today. Including the latest information regarding every aspect of backyard beekeeping and honey production, this book describes how to get started, how to care for and safely handle bees, and how to maintain healthy and productive colonies.

This book is loaded with up-to-date, practical examples and helpful illustrations of proven techniques and strategies for both new and seasoned hobbyist beekeepers. Some of the updates for this brand-new edition include:

• New information regarding the critical role that nutrition plays in the health and productivity of your bees

• News about the latest beekeeping products, medications, and all-natural remedies

• Information regarding dozens of helpful beekeeping resources

• Redeemable coupons from beekeeping suppliers that save the reader money

Beekeeping For Dummies embodies the straightforward and simple approach made famous by the For Dummies series. Each and every reader will benefit from its accessible and approachable take on beekeeping.

Auteur

Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.

Texte du rabat

• Learn the skills to be a successful beekeeper
• Harvest your own nutritious honey

• Keep your bees healthy using all-natural methods Be a beekeeper. Help the world. Did you know that bees are responsible for every third or fourth bite of food we eat? Recent years have been extremely tough for bee colonies, so if you've chosen to take up beekeeping, you're making a valuable contribution to the food chain. Fully revised with the latest information, this 5th Edition covers new updates on medications, nutrition, bee health, and winter survival as well as guidance for what you need to do in your first and second seasons. Valuable resources and professional advice help you and your bees succeed! Inside...

• New beekeeping techniques
• Advice on nutrition and health
• The latest about regulations on honey and bee products
• Best beekeeping practices
• All about honey production
• Guidance for your second season
• Coupons from suppliers

Contenu
Foreword xvii

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 4

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 5

Part 1: Taking Flight with Beekeeping 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 to our food supply 11

Being part of the bigger picture: Save the bees! 13

Getting an education: And passing it on! 13

Improving your health: Bee therapies and stress relief 15

Determining Your Beekeeping Potential 16

Environmental considerations 16

Zoning and legal restrictions 16

Costs and equipment 17

Time and commitment 18

Beekeeper personality traits 18

Allergies 19

Deciding Which Beekeeping Approach to Follow 19

Medicated beekeeping 20

Natural beekeeping 20

Organic beekeeping 21

Combining approaches 21

Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Honey Bees 23

Basic Body Parts 24

Skeleton 24

Head 25

Thorax 26

Abdomen 27

The Amazing Language of Bees 27

Pheromones 27

Shall we dance? 28

Getting to Know the Male and the Two Female Castes 29

Her majesty, the queen 29

The industrious little worker bee 32

House bees 33

Field bees 36

The woeful drone 37

The Honey Bee Life Cycle 39

Egg 39

Larva 41

Pupa 42

Other Stinging Insects 43

Bumblebee 44

Carpenter bee 44

Mason bee 45

Wasp 45

Yellow jacket 46

Bald-faced hornet 47

Part 2: Starting Your Adventure 49

Chapter 3: Alleviating Apprehensions and Making Decisions 51

Overcoming Sting Phobia 52

Knowing what to do if you're stung 53

Watching for allergic reactions 54

Building up a tolerance 54

Understanding Local Laws and Ordinances 55

Easing the Minds of Family and Neighbors 55

Location, Location, Location: Where to Keep Your Hives 57

Knowing what makes a perfect bee yard 57

Urban considerations 59

Understanding the correlation between geographical area and honey flavors 64

Knowing When to Start Your Adventure 64

Chapter 4: Selecting a Hive That's Perfect for You 67

The Langstroth Hive 68

The Kenyan Top Bar Hive 70

The Apimaye Insulated Hive 73

The Flow Hive 75

The Warré (People's) Hive 78

The Five-Frame Nuc Hive 81

The Observation Hive 83

Make a Beeline to the Best Beehive 86

Hives for harvesting honey 87

Hives for pollinating your garden 87

A hive for learning and teaching 88

Chapter 5: Basic Equipment for Beekeepers 91

Starting Out with the Langstroth Hive 92

Knowing the Basic Woodenware Parts of the Langstroth Hive 92

Hive stand 93

Bottom board 93

Entrance reducer 95

Deep-hive body 96

Queen excluder 97

Shallow or medium honey super 98

Frames 100

Foundation 103

Inner cover 106

Outer cover 106

Knowing the Basic Parts of a Top Bar Hive 108

The top bar 108

Everything else 109

Ordering Hive Parts 110

Startup hive kits 110

Setting up shop 111

Adding on Feeders 112

Hive-top feeder 112

Entrance feeder 114

Pail feeder 115

Baggie feeder 116

Frame feeder 117 Top Bar hive feeders 118</...