Guide to Bees & Honey - Ted Hooper MBE

[Beefriendly]

Practical Beekeeping - Clive de Bruyn

then maybe some Golden Oldies - still worth reading decades later

'Beekeeping in Britain' and 'Honey farming' both by ROB Manley
Practical Bee guide by JG Digges
'The Introduction of Queen bees' and 'Swarming - it's control and prevention' by Snelgrove

Essential reading for anyone. Forget the dated style.... those guys knew there bees and were incredibly observant. Not read the others (yet) so cannot comment but would think if Jenks recommends them they will be worth reading.

I wouldn't recommend Hooper for someone just starting beekeeping as to0 dated now and mistake ridden. For someone just starting beekeeping they won't have the experience or knowledge (yet) to identify which bits are good and which are bad.
Actually the BBKA guide to beekeeping isn't bad...as starting guides go.

 

[pargyle]

Practical Beekeeping - Clive de Bruyn

then maybe some Golden Oldies - still worth reading decades later

'Beekeeping in Britain' and 'Honey farming' both by ROB Manley

Yes ... I'd agree with those ..

If you want convincing that insulation is good for bees and some interesting ideas look out for Home Honey Production by Bill Bielby.

To be perfectly honest .. most beekeepers end up with a collection of books for winter reading .. there's always bargains on Amazon and Ebay .. I can never resist a cheap bee book - read 'em, digest 'em, think about 'em and pass them on if there's nothing you feel like keeping.

There's two winters reading, at least, of archives in this forum - lots of the threads have gems in them that you won't find in the books .. you might have to gloss over a few spats, a few bits of (entertaining) nonsense and some repetition ~ but the nuggets are there if you look for them. Innovations, better ways of doing (or not doing) things, opinions, facts, fiction, myths debunked, myths perpetuated - you will see horrors, successes, disasters and a vast amount of knowledge passed on by some of Britains best living beekeepers ... a couple of USA ones and one Finnish one !

You will quickly see whose posts are worth reading and eliminate those who are just a legend in their own minds ... Search and ye shall find !

 

[Swarm]

You will quickly see whose posts are worth reading and eliminate those who are just a legend in their own minds ... Search and ye shall find !

Spot on.

 

[triumph]

Hi everyone,

A couple of nights ago I briefly searched for what might be the best book to learn about bees/beekeeping. From what I read on the Internet, including this forum, I decided to buy the book "Guide to Bees & Honey" by Ted Hooper MBE. It arrived tonight and I was hooked from the moment I picked it up.

I'm only on page 27 so far but I've found it incredibly interesting learning how bees are made up and how their systems work.

Is this book on the shelf of every experienced beekeeper here? I would be interested in learning how the book has helped other forum members and which part(s) in particular you like the most.

 

[triumph]

Hi everyone,

A couple of nights ago I briefly searched for what might be the best book to learn about bees/beekeeping. From what I read on the Internet, including this forum, I decided to buy the book "Guide to Bees & Honey" by Ted Hooper MBE. It arrived tonight and I was hooked from the moment I picked it up.

I'm only on page 27 so far but I've found it incredibly interesting learning how bees are made up and how their systems work.

Is this book on the shelf of every experienced beekeeper here? I would be interested in learning how the book has helped other forum members and which part(s) in particular you like the most.

i bought this book in the 1980s. I read it all through one winter. my wife said to me ."Are you going to talk to me or what". l learnt all my beekeeping from it. Am still learning from it now.

 

[Speybee]

These 2 books I have found very helpful

 

[Speybee]

These 2 are old tomes found in a charity shop and still to be read.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

These 2 are old tomes found in a charity shop and still to be read.

Wedmore is OKish - as long as you ingore all his babble about ventilation

 

[madasafish]

These 2 books I have found very helpful

I carry the Field Guide in my bee Tote bag.. excellent to use for things you should know but cannot recall/photos of disease .. when in a place surrounded by bees... and legible through a veil...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

These 2 books I have found very helpful

You need a copy of Hooper and if you find Digges, or anything by Manley in a second hand shop, grab it. They may be old now but well worth a read

 

[Speybee]

You need a copy of Hooper and if you find Dogges, or anything by Manley in a second hand shop, grab it. They may be old now but well worth a read

Will have a look out for these

 

[Speybee]

Wedmore is OKish - as long as you ingore all his babble about ventilation

I’ve not even started it yet, will leave it for the dark winter nights in.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I’ve not even started it yet, will leave it for the dark winter nights in.

I'm wading through his 'on the ventilation of beehives'
Done wonders for my insomnia

 

[Speybee]

I'm wading through his 'on the ventilation of beehives'
Done wonders for my insomnia

I will know who to ask about advice regarding ventilation then

 

[Erichalfbee]

I will know who to ask about advice regarding ventilation then

Try an experiment next year.
Put in your inspection tray and block the back off so that the omf is sealed. With the entrance block out hold a downy feather ( or something that will catch the air) at each side. The bees take the air in one side, channel it round the frames and out the other side where your other feather is. And not a matchstick in sight

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I will know who to ask about advice regarding ventilation then

Well that's easy - don't, leave it to the bees

 

[Speybee]

Try an experiment next year.
Put in your inspection tray and block the back off so that the omf is sealed. With the entrance block out hold a downy feather ( or something that will catch the air) at each side. The bees take the air in one side, channel it round the frames and out the other side where your other feather is. And not a matchstick in sight

Reminds me of my late dads party trick.
On his business trips to Italy in the 70s, he would come back with Amaretti biscuits by a firm called Lazzaroni.
These amaretti were wrapped in fine crinkly tissue paper.
He formed a tube with the paper, lit it with his lighter and whoosh the lit paper floated upwards much to my delight.
Thanks for triggering that random memory from the feather description!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Reminds me of my late dads party trick.
On his business trips to Italy in the 70s, he would come back with Amaretti biscuits by a firm called Lazzaroni.
These amaretti were wrapped in fine crinkly tissue paper.
He formed a tube with the paper, lit it with his lighter and whoosh the lit paper floated upwards much to my delight.
Thanks for triggering that random memory from the feather description!

I used to love doing that at my favourite Italian restaurant. My toddler daughter used to squirm with delight. Happy days.

 

[colinlyne]

Will have a look out for these

Free PDF here! http://www.blackburnbeekeepers.com/fieldguidetohoneybees.pdf

 

[Speybee]

Free PDF here! http://www.blackburnbeekeepers.com/fieldguidetohoneybees.pdf

Thanks for that always useful to have another resource.