bee books

[elmandy]

Hi all you experienced bee keepers, can any1 tell me the name of a decent book of bee keeping plz, as a newbee I want to learn asmuch about bees as possible, so wld be very grateful for any advise, thankyou.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Practical Beekeeping - clive de Bruyn
Guide to bees and Honey - Ted Hooper

Both essentials IMHO

 

[itma]

You should really take a good look at the "Books" section of the forum
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=8&order=desc

You may have to scroll through lots of threads about mentions on TV, radio and press that have been started in the wrong place, but heigh-ho, people do!

For a beginner wanting a modern overview, the Haynes manual is well-recommended. Yes, there is at least one thread about it in the books section ...

 

[elmandy]

Practical Beekeeping - clive de Bruyn
Guide to bees and Honey - Ted Hooper

Both essentials IMHO

Thankyou, will try to find them books,

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Thankyou, will try to find them books,

Am*zon is where I bought my copy of Hooper

 

[sharonh]

Hi, I'm a beginner also, and one book I found really good was , Bees at the bottom of the garden, also Haynes Bee manual. Both are really good for starting. I refer back to them all the time, easy to understand and everything well explained. Best of luck.... Sharon

 

[BeeJayBee]

I think the "Haynes Bee Manual" is a better book for the very early stages of beekeeping. http://www.haynes.co.uk/beemanual/. "Keeping Bees" by Pam Gregory and Claire Waring is quite good too, for beginners [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Keeping-Bees-Green-Guides-Gregory/dp/1847869858"]Keeping Bees (Green Guides Series): Amazon.co.uk: Pam Gregory, Claire Waring, Paul Peacock (foreword): Books[/ame]


Both the above have plenty of illustrations, and modern text to go with them. Hooper and deBruyn's books are very good, but I think they're a bit too meaty for absolute beginners to work their way through. Add them to your Christmas gift list, if you have one.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Hi Elmandy!


This is the point where differences appear.

I found Hooper to be a really good resource and I was happy to discover it after the Beekeeping for Dummies that I was bought as a present!

My suggestion is to get it alongside a simpler text and read the two together.

Dusty.

 

[masterBK]

Am*zon is where I bought my copy of Hooper
--------------------------------------------
You mean the am*zon which pays very little corporation tax? I believe we should support our specialist bee book suppliers like N..... B..... Books

 

[sandysman]

Hi Elmandy!


This is the point where differences appear.

I found Hooper to be a really good resource and I was happy to discover it after the Beekeeping for Dummies that I was bought as a present!

My suggestion is to get it alongside a simpler text and read the two together.

Dusty.

Bees at the bottom of the garden, which has already been suggested is very easy to follow, ideas do change but the bees don't. As I have already suggested to one forum member, if you are not already a member of your local association I would recommend you to join, even if its only for the insurance cover.
Andy

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Am*zon is where I bought my copy of Hooper
--------------------------------------------
You mean the am*zon which pays very little corporation tax? I believe we should support our specialist bee book suppliers like N..... B..... Books

You pays your money and you takes your choice. I don't winge about companies minimising their tax liabilities by following the rules. If the rules are wrong its down to government to change them. Something Margaret Hodge seems incapable of understanding.
No doubt if tax take goes up we will be the ones to bear the burden.

 

[Smorning]

Practical beekeeper

Try the practicable beekeeper by micheal bush its excellent and very comprehensive

 

[clv101]

I think the "Haynes Bee Manual" is a better book for the very early stages of beekeeping. http://www.haynes.co.uk/beemanual/.

Agreed, it's a great book to start with.

 

[Spikedog]

Newbee (relatively) here as well. Hooper – Guide to bees … ‘The Book’ - excellent but a little weighty in style for the beginner – place it alongside Bees at the Bottom of the Garden, itself a little light but with good solid practical and simply explained processes it’s a good combination. Didn’t find deBrun’s as helpful BUT would recommend David Cramp’s The Bee Keeper’s Field Guide (A pocket guide …) as an extremely helpful asset in the steep learning curve of practical bee care [Still learning basics so won’t identify with real bee keepers as yet]. I took these copies (and more) from Am#@on. The experienced bee keepers on this site are a gold mine of information - the debates a teat and well worth adding to your reading list.

Happy reading over the coming winter P

 

[BeeJayBee]

Try the practicable beekeeper by micheal bush its excellent and very comprehensive

His website is brilliant! http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

 

[masterBK]

But M Bush lives in US where beekeeping is quite different in many ways to UK.
No book is perfect but I quite like the recent "Guide to beekeeping book" by Ivor Davis et al.

 

[pargyle]

Hi Elmandy!


This is the point where differences appear.

I found Hooper to be a really good resource and I was happy to discover it after the Beekeeping for Dummies that I was bought as a present!

My suggestion is to get it alongside a simpler text and read the two together.

Dusty.

Yes ... I would agree with this ... I use Hooper for the 'OMG what is happening now' sort of problems and he usually has an answer - but Haynes is excellent for day to day stuff and an easier read for beginners. I found 'Bees at the Bottom of my garden' a good read in the very early days (though I rarely open it now) and David Cramp 'A practical Guide to Beekeeping' is another book I dip into quite regularly.

You can pick most of them (probably with the exception of Hooper which everyone hangs onto) up on Amazon or ebay second hand for a fraction of their new price. I got David Cramp for 0.01p on Amazon plus the postage and it's jacket price is £14.99 - looked like it had only been read once !

Any bee book you can pick up is worth a read ... even some of the 'ancient tomes' such a Abbe Warre's book (available as a free download) are worth reading ... anything that brings a different aspect and makes you think is good.

 

[mbc]

Yes ... I would agree with this ... I use Hooper for the 'OMG what is happening now' sort of problems and he usually has an answer - but Haynes is excellent for day to day stuff and an easier read for beginners. I found 'Bees at the Bottom of my garden' a good read in the very early days (though I rarely open it now) and David Cramp 'A practical Guide to Beekeeping' is another book I dip into quite regularly.

You can pick most of them (probably with the exception of Hooper which everyone hangs onto) up on Amazon or ebay second hand for a fraction of their new price. I got David Cramp for 0.01p on Amazon plus the postage and it's jacket price is £14.99 - looked like it had only been read once !

What a waste of 1p plus postage ! I think it was JenkinsBM who uses Cramp to support a wobbly leg on his desk, I wouldnt want to do that without covering it to avoid reminding myself of the wasted hour or so reading it.
'Bees at the bottom of the garden' on the other hand is really clear and it still gets an outing 20 years down the line to show beginners the clear description of an AS.
Of course, what suits each reader is very subjective, but I think quality shines through.

 

[mbc]

No book is perfect but I quite like the recent "Guide to beekeeping book" by Ivor Davis et al.

Hi Ivor

 

[masterBK]

I'm not Ivor!