The first 100 pages of Keeping Honey Bees are, in a very real way, dedicated to making sure the reader actually wants to keep honey bees. The joys and perils of beekeeping are explored, as are the the life cycle of bees, basic hive dynamics, equipment needed, and the kind of space hives need. The text then moves to explore the different ways to acquire bees, tending the colonies, harvesting honey, employing bees to pollinate crops, and information about disease and pest management.
Clear illustrations, quotes from experienced beekeepers on their experience, and sidebars on idiosyncratic aspects of beekeeping make this book extraordinarily useful—a real workable resource for the curious or active beekeeper. The tone of measured enthusiasm doesn't make light of the challenges of beekeeping, but also encourages the novice to sally forth into the world of apiarists.
