Beekeeping books owned by newbies?

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Do you own a bee book or....?

  • I rely on the web.

    Votes: 15 17.6%
  • I rely on my mentor

    Votes: 7 8.2%
  • I have no books

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • I bought one or more books

    Votes: 84 98.8%

  • Total voters
    85
  • Poll closed .

Poly Hive

Queen Bee
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
14,094
Reaction score
395
Location
Scottish Borders
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
12 and 18 Nucs
Curious as to how many have bought one?

Which one?

Can the old hands stay off the poll so as not to skew the results please?

I am defining newbie as two years or less experience.

PH
 
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Definitely a newbie, haven't got my hive yet.

I got interested in bees, bought a book, joined the forum, got really excited bought an even bigger book I saw recommended on here, then decided was ready to take the plunge and ordered my bees and hives. Have since read various websites, on here daily, and keep referring back to my books :)

First book (and don't shoot me) was beekeeping for dummies, second book was Collins beekeeping bible.
 
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I have bought Ted Hooper,guide to bees and honey,bees at bottom of garden and have been bought 'keeping bees and making honey, a National Trust beekeeping book and ,self sufficiency beekeeping - that one is the worst!
 
I first bought "Getting Started In Beekeeping" by Adrian and Claire Waring as it was suggested as a good starter by my local BKA.
I then bought "Guide to Bees and Honey" by Ted Hooper, mainly from reading recommendations here.

I am happy with both choices.

I have also taken three or four books out of the library which seem to vary from superficial to very good. I also like " A Practical Guide to Beekeeping" by David Cramp.
 
I got Honey Bees at the bottom of the garden for a Xmas pressie. I found it usefull as a starter guide.
 
First year with bees, but also one year learning before I got them!
On my shelf I have Ted Hooper (boring and somewhat out of date but has its uses)
The next two were the first ones I bought
The complete guide to beekeeping - Jeremy Evans
Bees at the bottom of the garden - Alan Campion- the second book I bought
Then because of my interest in gardening and flowers I bought the next two
A colour guide to pollen loads of the honey bee, William Kirk
The bee friendly garden - Ted Hooper and Mike Taylor
The buzz of the bees - biology of a superorganism - Jurgen Tautz (just reading this and it is fantastic!) Not strictly a beekeeping book but the scientific research is great and photos are brilliant!
New addition received today and to be read next:
The bee friendly beekeeper: A sustainable approach - David Heaf
Although I have done the poll and put that I have books I also rely heavily on this site which provides a variety of responses to questions and I use the oodles of common sense I have against the small amount of beek knowledge to make a decision based on the replies..... so the internet comes second for me!
Regards
Louise
 
should we not change the poll... a list of beginners,intermediate and advanced books that people would recommend.
allow multiple votes if that is possible? then hopefully we would get a great list of good books to check out- our own amazon review system!
 
Once the poll is set that's it.

Start a bee book thread if you wish.

PH
 
just looking how to do that. cant find the function though, can you edit the poll as people add more books?
PH did not mean too Poo Poo your Poll by theway!
:party:
 
Shame... Missed out on qualifying for this one... Would still most definately call myself a "newbee" though...

Ben P
 
Ted Hoopers book "Guide to Bees and Honey" is the best there is. Everybody should have it. Cheapest source is Amaz--xx.
 
yes, lots, keeping bees, get started in bees, buzz about bees, guide to bees and honey, honey, collins beepeekers bible, colour guides to pollen loads, queen rearing, beekeeping for fun and profit, rose hive method and a couple more that are not on the bookcase at the moment, also use web and talk to in person lots of local bee keepers.
 
Be careful of the pollen load books as if the colours are slightly off from the printing process the results make no sense at all.

And yes it can happen.

PH
 
After reading through several threads on here the main book that surfaced was "a practical manual of beekeeping". I may get another book but I trust the info/experience on this forum. Been looking things up for just over a year (I'm very lucky I get to read all day if I wish. And I do) but joined here in September. Already seen the same subjects resurface on threads and the info is largely consistent. However I would say I am a newbie beekeeper. Not a newborn lol. I have access to a commercial beek who is a friend and here. I also love the quizes. I tend to learn via images quickly. So these are invaluable parts of the forum for me. As for the book I thought it was easy to understand basic but a good starting point which was the recommendation on here. Bees - house hunt dependent - this year. As money is tight I will go for baiting a hive. If I am meant to have them they will choose me. Some will roll eyes at that but I have often found in life and forums that the eye rollers judge your ability to learn by their ability to learn. Which often is worlds apart.
 
In no particular order
Guide to Bees and Honey .....Hooper
Collins Beekeeping Bible
Keeping Bees and Making Honey.....Alison Benjamin, Brian Mccallum
The Barefoot Beekeer.....Phil Chandler
Bees at the Bottom of the Garden.....Alan Campion
Langstroth's hive and the honeybee
Beekeeping, Inspiration and practical advice for would-be smallholders.....NT
A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honeybee.....William Kirk
The Bee Book.....Daphne More
The Hive..... Bee Wilson
At the Hive Entrance....H.Storch
Toward Saving the Honeybee.....Gunther Hauk
Honeybee Democracy.....Thomas D Seeley
The Buzz about Bees.....Jürgen Tautz
Honey and dust.....Piers Moore Ede
The Bad Beekeepers Club.....Bill Turnbull
 
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I have A Practical Manual of Beekeeping by Cramp. Useful but a bit irritated by references on making money from bees when I want more info on husbandry.
Hooper on my wish list.
Have to say though, this forum brilliant for answers to specific questions as they arise.
 
The Hive and the Honeybee - L.L. Langstroth
Observations At the Hive Entrance - H.Storch
JG Digges' book on Irish Beekeeping - can't recall the proper title off the top of my head
Mastering the Art of Beekeeping Vols 1&2 - Ormand Aebi - some nice ideas
Parasites of the Honeybee by Dr Mary Coffey - a very good resource
Beekeeping at Buckfast Abbey by Br. Adam

currently reading:
Bees and people - Naum Ioyrish
The Honey Bee inside out - Celia Davis
Moses Quimby's book

Have also had the loan of and read about 12 books owned by my mentor including AI Roots ABC and XYZ of Beekeeping

As frenchbees has said, this forum is a fantastic resource which ahs lead me off on innumerable enjoyable tangents!
 
A Practical Manual of Beekeeping by David Cramp which made me realise just how fascinating this hobby can be.
Collins Beekeeping Bible
IBRA's Garden plants valuable to Bees
look, listen, learn at the hive side, Ron Brown
A small HB yellow covered one which Ive forgotten the name of and lent out at the mo.
Several booklets from that big bee book supplier up North.
I've also read several from my local bee groups library althogh not yet procured my own copies of these yet.
 
Guide to bees and Honey - Ted Hooper
Bees at the Bottom of the Garden - Alan Campion
Collins Beekeepers Bible
Beekeeping - Andrew Davies
The Bee Friendly Garden - Hooper and Taylor
Observations At the Hive Entrance - Storch
Keeping Bees - John Vivian
Book of Bees - Sue Hubble
 
AaaH, also Rose Hive Method, makes sense seeing as its the hives I'm using.
 
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