Starting Right with Bees: Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-36 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin)

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.
The beekeeper's year begins with a late winter hive inspection and ends with "putting the bees to bed" in the autumn. Richard Bonney believes that each beekeeping activity should be performed with an eye toward the overall well-being of the colony, as part of an integrated year-round program of hive management.

Long-term success in beekeeping can only be achieved by understanding the intimate lives, behaviors, and motivations of honey bees -- the factors which govern the life of each colony. Richard Bonney explains the reasons behind common practices that many beekeepers perform without really knowing why. He also stresses when to take timely actions that will prevent problems in future seasons.

Hive Management offers concise, up-to-date information on the whole range of beekeeping tasks, including:

-- How to prevent, control, and capture swarms.

-- What you can tell from an outside inspection of your hives.

-- When and how to "take the crop" and harvest honey.

-- How to successfully requeen -- from handling and marking queens to methods of introducing one into a hive.

-- The problem signs to look for when you open up a hive.

For the practicing beekeeper who needs more information, or for the serious novice who wants to start out right, Hive Management offers sensible advice to help keep your honey bees thriving.

Here are practical methods for coping with today's greatest concerns, including mites and Africanized bees.

A Beekeeper For Over 13 Years, Author Richard E. Bonney Owns Charlemont Apiaries In Charlemont, Massachusetts. He Has Authored Two Books, Hive Management And Beekeeping, Which Reviewers Such As The Speedy Bee Have Given Much Praise: Delightfully Readable...full Of Answers...written In A Refreshing And Authoritative Way That Demonstrates The Depth Of The Author's Experience... [bonney Provides] The Kind Of Information One Needs To Understand Beekeeping. The Library Journal Has Also Complimented The Book: This Useful Book Is Crammed With Helpful Hints... [bonney] Discusses The 'hows' And, Most Important, The 'whys' Of Effective Hive Management.
Richard Is A Beekeeping Teacher At The University Of Massachusetts In Amherst. He Was Named The Massachusetts Extension Specialist-apiculture In 1991 And Writes Regularly About Beekeeping.

Enjoy a thriving hive and plenty of delicious honey. This practical guide to beekeeping stresses practices that are based on an understanding of the intimate lives, behaviors, and motivations of honey bees. Youll learn proven methods for inspecting your hives, troubleshooting problems, introducing a new queen, collecting honey, and dealing with swarms. Whether youre starting your first hive or are tending to dozens of them, Richard Bonneys clear advice and expert insights will help make your beekeeping operation a success. Keep your own bees and enjoy delicious golden honey from your own backyard. With his respect and admiration for bees evident on every page, Richard E. Bonney describes how to acquire bees, manage a hive, prevent and treat diseases, and extract a crop of honey. Enthusiastic beekeepers of every stripe and experience level will benefit from Bonney's astonishing knowledge of the craft — from beekeeping history and honeybee biology to the complex social structure of the hive. Whether you're a beginning beekeeper or one with a season or two of experience, Richard Bonney tells you how to keep bees, not just have them. This book offers information about how to acquire bees; install a colony; manage a hive; take a crop of honey; prevent and treat Varroa and tracheal mites; and learn about Africanized bees Offers a comprehensive overview of the whole range of tasks beekeepers must perform in different seasons, with tips for preventing, controling, and capturing swarms, inspecting hives, harvesting honey, successfully requeening, and more WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED one of those unseasonably warm days in February, just at that time when winter is weighing so heavily on us.