Keeping Bees and Making Honey is a stunning, comprehensive and attractive lifestyle guide to beekeeping packed with images, information, practical advice, useful resources and recipes. Whether you have a tiny balcony or acres of land; live in the middle of a city or in the countryside surrounded by flowers, you can keep bees. Keeping Bees and Making Honey caters for every situation, and covers everything you will need to consider before you set up your colony - including when and how to tell the neighbours! 'Understanding your bees' introduces you to the history of bees and humans, the anatomy of a honey bee, the variety of species that you are likely to encounter, the caste system within a colony of queen, worker and drone, and the birth and life cycle of bees. 'What to consider' suggests factors to consider before keeping bees, from the space where you will house your hives to children and pets. Learn about the variety of hives available and how they work, as well all the important things that you will need including protective clothing, a smoker and hive tool, as well as honey-harvesting equipment. There are a variety of sources for purchasing your bees and 'Where and when to get your bees' will give you all the advice you need covering the nucleus, packaged bees, full colonies and tips on marking the queen. There are detailed sections on pollen and supers. 'Gardening for bees' will help you consider the best flowers to supply nectar and pollen to your bees whilst ensuring your garden looks great! It is probably the prospect of home-grown honey that entices most people to keep bees. 'All about honey' will show you how bees make honey, and how to harvest, jar and sell your honey. There is a whole chapter devoted to other bee products, from uses of beeswax; candles and cosmetics, to delicious recipes made with honey. Finally, 'Health and care' will ensure that your apiary stays clean and tidy, and your colony is pest free, strong and vigorous. This updated and revised edition of Keeping Bees and Making Honey includes new material on bees as a superorganism, keeping bees in urban locations such as schools and at work, caring for bees during the winter, your second year as a bee keeper and more on bee health, varroa and colony collapse disorder. Environmentally there has never been a more important time to start beekeeping, nor is there a better antidote to the stresses of everyday life. Keeping Bees and Making Honey is the ideal companion for you if you are planning to start keeping bees in order to contribute to their conservation and to enjoy the considerable benefits of this fascinating hobby.

This Brief explains and discusses honey and its production from a chemical perspective. It outlines why honey is a special and unique food, being produced by bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants. Although glucose and fructose are the main constituents of honey, its overall composition is far from being simple or uniform: other substances such as organic acids, enzymes, or minerals are found in varying amounts. In this Brief, the author addresses the factors that influence the composition of the honey as well as the consequences that the composition has on properties such as color, crystallization, density, viscosity, or the refractive index. This Brief also introduces some of the most commonly used quality parameters for the determination of ageing and/or overheating: 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and diastase. Other recently proposed constituents for quality parameters are also mentioned, e.g. 1,2 dicarbonyl compounds (3 deoxyglucosone, methylglyoxal, glyoxal) and furosine, also named 2-furoylmethyl lysine.

The number of people interested and active in keeping bees at an amateur level has continued to increase over the past few years in both rural and urban situations. This guide, aimed at beginning beekeepers, and the only one to be endorsed by the BBKA provides an authoritative text, along with clear photographs and illustrations. The book introduces the reader to beekeeping, including such areas as the workings of the colony, the structure of a hive, how to acquire bees and keep them healthy and what happens in each month in a beekeeping year. Each chapter is accompanied by anecdotes, answers to frequently asked questions and fascinating facts about bees and honey. The new edition includes new step-by-step sequences to illustrate procedures such as containing a swarm, identifying the queen, using a smoker and cleaning a hive as well as more information on different kinds of hives, disease management and many other key areas.

The nature .and diversity of presentations at the conference on: "Bee Products: Prop erties, Applications and Apitherapy" held at Tel-Aviv on May 26--30, 1996, emphasize the increasing interest of physicians, practitioners, scientists, herbalists, dieticians, cosmeti cians, microbiologists, and beekeepers in different facets of bee products. This volume consists of a selection of 31 contributions presented at the conference and which provide information on the present status of our knowledge in this area. In spite of their diversity, they reflect the mainstream of the conference, namely: "Imported" Prod ucts (honey, pollen and propolis), Exocrine Secretions of Workers (venom, royal jelly). Toxicity and Contaminants, Quality Control, Marketing, Apitherapy, Cosmetics, etc. Since antiquity, honey as well as other bee products were used as food, as a cure for ailments of humans and animals, and as cosmetics. We hope that this volume will contribute to interdisciplinary studies on chemical composition, pharmacological effects, nutrition, and other aspects of bee products. Critical and unbiased experimental research may unravel the yet unknown composition and mode of action of bee products and elucidate many unanswered questions. The noteworthy features of this conference were the participants from all parts of the world and of different cultural backgrounds, who shared their keen interest and curios ity regarding honey bees and their products. We thank all of them for their personal con tribution to the success of this conference."

Global bee populations have been rapidly declining for years, and it's not just our honey supply that's at stake: bees' contribution to the pollination of various crops is essential to human survival. But even in industrial apiaries-the most common approach to facilitate the rebound of threatened bee populations-bees are in distress, hiving in synthetic and hostile environments. Enter idle beekeeping: the grassroots, low-intervention system of beekeeping that seeks to emulate the behavior and habitat of bees in the wild-and it only requires two active days of beekeeping per year. In The Idle Beekeeper, Bill Anderson calls upon his years of applied curiosity as an urban beekeeper to highlight the invaluable resources that these underappreciated insects provide and show how simple and rewarding beekeeping can be. In this entertaining, philosophical, and practical guide, Anderson teaches step-by-step how to build a hive system developed to allow maximum idleness, harvest honey and extract honeycomb, make mead and beeswax candles, and to closely observe and understand these most fascinating and productive of insects. Through his laissez-faire approach to maintaining a bee colony using the minimum-interference Warre hives-low-tech, low-maintenance, and bee-friendly hives that mimic the cavity of a tree, the bees' natural habitat-Anderson illustrates how little effort is actually required to raise and nurture a thriving bee community. In fact, his idle approach to beekeeping requires only two days of work per year-one day in the spring, and another in the fall. The Idle Beekeeper offers practical and philosophical advice for getting involved in conservation efforts, and Anderson's expertise will show just how easy it is to make an environmental impact. For anyone interested in keeping bees, The Idle Beekeeper is the definitive guide that teaches you everything you need to get started, even in a city, and without effort.

This 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.

'It's simultaneously heart-breaking and uplifting, and I loved it' Abi Dare, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice 'This heart-warming, uplifting story will make you want to call your own friends, not to mention grab some honey' Good Housekeeping * A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick * Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by BookRiot and the New York Post * _________________________________________ To the outside world Alice, Jake and Harry have little in common. Alice is a social outsider: reclusive, middle-aged, and with only 850,000 honeybees for company. Jake, following an accident at a high school party, is grappling with life in a wheelchair and dashed dreams of music school. And Harry is an aimless twenty-four-year-old suffering from debilitating social anxiety. But when Alice nearly crashes her pick-up truck, packed with thousands of honeybees, into Jake, the last thing she expects is to find that Jake has a gift: he can hear her bees' buzzing as a form of music. And when Harry also arrives at Alice's farm, looking for work, it is the beginning of this trio's unlikely friendship. All seems right with their world - until the buzzing stops. . . Now, these friends must unite to defend their bees. Set in the gorgeous, sprawling countryside of the Pacific Northwest, Eileen Garvin's THE MUSIC OF BEES is about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places, and the families we choose for ourselves. Heart-warming, inspirational and redemptive, it is perfect for fans of THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS and Rachel Joyce. _________________________________________ Praise for The Music of Bees. . . 'Genuinely touching' Publishers Weekly 'A hopeful, heart-warming, uplifting story about the power of chosen family' Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is 'An exquisite debut' People Magazine 'A special treat for nature lovers, The Music of Bees is full of warmth and hope and decency' Rebecca Hardiman, author of Good Eggs 'The Music of Bees is an enchanting book of belonging, overcoming adversity and the journey to find a hive of one's own' Kira Jane Buxton, author of Hollow Kingdom 'The Music of Bees sings!' Adriana Trigiani 'A delightful book!' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars

Listen to the bees.

Bees reflect human society - understand them and we can get a little closer to understanding ourselves. Humans and bees have enjoyed a close relationship for millennia, and the entries in this book reflect at least two thousand years of fascination with the world's favourite insect. Monarch, celebrity, monk, peasant, warrior or regular Joe, there are few who haven't fallen under the spell of bees and the riches they bring. From superstition to science, cake recipes to self-help, these quotes are a mirror to ourselves - our hopes and fears, our lives and deaths. Not to mention our taste-buds.

Written by two of the UK's most well-known and respected experts in the beekeeping community, this is a new and updated edition of a popular reference title which contains everything the beginner, or even intermediate, beekeeper could need. Suitable both for those just considering the prospect and those who are already fascinated beekeepers, this guide to setting up, maintaining and maximising bees in the back garden is an indispensable and readable bible of information and practical advice. It covers everything from bee behaviour to what to do with honey, and balances all the background context on bee biology with the day-to-day and seasonal practicalities of running hives in any location, in the country or the city, and for colonies of all sizes. Resources include a 'bee calendar', troubleshooting section, illustrations, a glossary and details of courses and organizations, in an essential guide for anyone who is fascinated by the ancient ways of the apiarist.

'Warmly entertaining...an endearing account of the search for rare bees' Guardian A hunt for the world's most elusive bees leads Dave Goulson from Poland to Patagonia as well as closer to home, amongst the secret places hidden right under our noses: the abandoned industrial estates where great crested newts roam; or the rewilded estate at Knepp Castle, where, with the aid of some hairy, bluebell-eating Tamworth pigs, nightingale song has been heard for the first time in generations. Whether he is tracking great yellow bumblebees in the Hebrides or chasing orchid bees through the Ecuadorian jungle, Dave Goulson's wit, humour and deep love of nature make him the ideal travelling companion.

The Bee Manual offers a clear and concise introduction into the fascinating world of the honey bee and the addictive craft of beekeeping. For various reasons, the number of bee colonies has been declining and there is great interest in trying to aid their recovery. Anyone wanting to keep bees first needs to learn about the individuals, how colonies operate and how the beekeeper can work with these insects to help them thrive, carry out their pollination activities and produce a satisfying honey crop. Full of colour photos and clear step-by-step text, this book offers practical advice for anyone planning to take up this absorbing hobby. 'an essential book for all beekeepers' bookshelves.' Bee Craft

After a chance meeting in the pub, Roger Morgan-Grenville and his friend Duncan decide to take up beekeeping. Their enthusiasm matched only by their ignorance, they are pitched into an arcane world of unexpected challenges.

Coping with many setbacks along the way, they manage to create a colony of beehives, finishing two years later with more honey than anyone knows what to do with. By standing back from their normal lives and working with the cycle of the seasons, they emerge with a new-found understanding of nature and a respect for the honeybee and the threats it faces.

Wryly humorous and surprisingly moving, Liquid Gold is the story of a friendship between two unlikely men at very different stages of their lives. It is also an uplifting account of the author’s own midlife journey: coming to terms with an empty nest, getting older, looking for something new.

A beautifully illustrated and thoroughly engaging cultural history of beekeeping - packed with anecdote, humour and enriching historical detail. The perfect gift. "A charming look at the history of beekeeping, from myth and folklore to our practical relationship with bees" Gardens Illustrated "An entertaining collation of bee trivia across the millennia" Daily Telegraph * Sweden's Gardening Book of the Year 2019 * Shortlisted for the August Prize 2019 * Winner of the Swedish Book Design Award for 2019 Beekeeper and garden historian Lotte Moeller explores the activities inside and outside the hive while charting the bees' natural order and habits. With a light touch she uses her encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject to shed light on humanity's understanding of bees and bee lore from antiquity to the present. A humorous debunking of the myths that have held for centuries is matched by a wry exploration of how and when they were replaced by fact. In her travels Moeller encounters a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, warring beekeepers on the Danish island of Laeso, and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond, as well a host of others as passionate as she about the complex world of apiculture both past and present. Translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry

"Buzz is a fascinating reminder of the interconnections between humans and animals, even in that most urban of environments, New York City."--Gary Alan Fine, author of Authors of the Storm: Meteorologists and the Culture of Prediction Bees are essential for human survival--one-third of all food on American dining tables depends on the labor of bees. Beyond pollination, the very idea of the bee is ubiquitous in our culture: we can feel buzzed; we can create buzz; we have worker bees, drones, and Queen bees; we establish collectives and even have communities that share a hive-mind. In Buzz, authors Lisa Jean Moore and Mary Kosut convincingly argue that the power of bees goes beyond the food cycle, bees are our mascots, our models, and, unlike any other insect, are both feared and revered. In this fascinating account, Moore and Kosut travel into the land of urban beekeeping in New York City, where raising bees has become all the rage. We follow them as they climb up on rooftops, attend beekeeping workshops and honey festivals, and even put on full-body beekeeping suits and open up the hives. In the process, we meet a passionate, dedicated, and eclectic group of urban beekeepers who tend to their brood with an emotional and ecological connection that many find restorative and empowering. Kosut and Moore also interview professional beekeepers and many others who tend to their bees for their all-important production of a food staple: honey. The artisanal food shops that are so popular in Brooklyn are a perfect place to sell not just honey, but all manner of goods: soaps, candles, beeswax, beauty products, and even bee pollen. Buzz also examines media representations of bees, such as children's books, films, and consumer culture, bringing to light the reciprocal way in which the bee and our idea of the bee inform one another. Partly an ethnographic investigation and partly a meditation on the very nature of human/insect relations, Moore and Kosut argue that how we define, visualize, and interact with bees clearly reflects our changing social and ecological landscape, pointing to how we conceive of and create culture, and how, in essence, we create ourselves. Lisa Jean Moore is a feminist medical sociologist and Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Purchase College, State University of New York. Mary Kosut is Associate Professor of Media, Society and the Arts at Purchase College, State University of New York. In the Biopolitics series

Bees play an essential role in the pollination of crops, but they face an increasing number of threats. This book provides information about 32 bee species including their size, habitat, location, nesting and eating habits, plus other interesting facts. A photograph of each species allows easy identification of these beautiful and important insects. Jack Byard is a former mechanic, jewellery craftsman and school technician. He is retired and now lives in Bradford. This is his 13th book in the popular "Know Your" series which also includes Know Your Sheep, Know Your Cattle and Know Your Pigs.

This beginner s guide to beekeeping clearly explains everything you need to know, from getting your first bees to harvesting your first crop of honey. Spectacular macro photography brings the inner workings of the hive to life, while the playful text gives you the information you need to make it through your first year. Everything is addressed here, from allergies, permits and restrictions, and how to deal with the neighbors to hive structure, colony hierarchy, and bee behavior."