The beekeeping handbook : a practical apiary guide for the yard, garden, and rooftop / Vivian Head.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Learn how to set up a successful beekeeping operation no matter where you are located. Recent headlines about the disappearing bees throughout the country have brought bees, bee breeding and beekeeping to the forefront of many people's minds. Those headlines have prompted many to start beekeeping and have made others wonder if beekeeping is a hobby they want to pursue. This book helps answer that question and helps the beginner, whether an urban beekeeper or backyard farmer, get started on setting up their own successful beekeeping operation. The Beekeeping Handbook covers all the beekeeping instruction and advice you need: *Bee anatomy and typical behaviors *Space requirements for a healthy beehive *Startup costs and subsequent expenditures to keep your hive safe, happy, and healthy *Tips and beekeeping instruction on honey harvesting and selling the product *How to minimize bee stings *How to treat bee stings *Beekeeping equipment and costs *Beekeeping advice on threats, including manmade and natural pests and diseases *How to prepare your hives for seasonal changes *Assessing and troubleshooting common bee and beehive problems. In addition, every chapter has aids that can help the reader get started and master beekeeping, including an annual beekeeper's calendar, detailed hand illustrations, and task checklists. While the book imparts a lot of great information, most of it is well known. The difference is the author and the way she writes about what obviously is a passion of hers. While the information is standard, it is written in a fun, engaging, and highly entertaining manner. It will become a beekeeping reference source that beginners and pros will use year in and year out. Perhaps most importantly, this book knocks down the perception that beekeeping must be done on a secluded hill in the middle of the wilderness. It lays out clearly how to keep bees in rural, suburban, and urban settings as well as how to navigate challenges that can emerge in each setting. If you are interested in beekeeping or even just exploring possible hobbies, you need to own The Beekeeping Handbook: A Practical Apiary Guide for the Yard, Garden or Rooftop!