Reading List

[parkranger]

Our Society is trying to put together a small library of books for both new beekeepers doing their introductory courses and members looking to embark upon the modules. Hooper is a given but would be grateful to hear your other recommendations.

Thanks in anticipation

 

[Black Comb]

The BBKA publishes a reading list for the modules. It's on their website.
Quite a few of the books recommended are out of print, yet they still remain on the list!

 

[Poly Hive]

There are a number of free Ebooks available.

Just a thought.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

There is also public libraries for potential new beeks, in particular,

Better, I think, to have a reading list than the actual books. Invariably the same book(s) would be in demand by several at the same time. Possibly a list of individuals who would agree to lending their own copies for a quick perusal by those interested in purchasing their own copies.

Most good bee books are there for reference, not just reading once.

 

[parkranger]

You all make valid points re "reading lists, public Libraries, ebooks" etc but we have a limited amount of money which it has been decided WILL be spent on a small collection of books for the membership.
Given that that decision is already made, really wanted your own recommendations of books which you feel offer something that others don't.

 

[MandF]

Brother Adam's book would be useful for those interested in breeding - so I would think that is a good choice for your society.

The Collins Beekeepers Bible is a hefty tome but quite generalist with some interesting beekeeping history, a lighter read than Hooper maybe?

Keeping Bees and Making Honey by Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum is a nice user-friendly introduction - covers most areas but in not too much depth.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Warre - the peoples hive.

At the hive entrance.

Dusty

 

[MandF]

Bill Turnbull's book is quite entertaining, and does bring a 'real world' feel to beekeeping. Most beeks I have spoken with about it definitely relate to it

 

[scuttlefish]

I'd suggest:

Practical Beekeeping - Clive de Bruyn
Having Healthy Honeybees - John McMullan

 

[MandF]

I'd suggest:

Practical Beekeeping - Clive de Bruyn

Deffo this one, I knew there was another "standard" book, but couldnt find it amongst my little pile. This is it.

 

[BeeJayBee]

"The Buzz about Bees" by Jürgen Tautz
[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buzz-about-Bees-Biology-Superorganism/dp/3642097502[/ame]

 

[flemage]

A Practical Manual of Beekeeping by David Cramp i have found realy good

 

[jackbee]

I like these 2

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Started-In-Beekeeping-Yourself/dp/1444101188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341582343&sr=8-1"]Get Started[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bee-Keeping-Inspiration-Practical-Smallholders/dp/1843404184/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341582326&sr=8-1"]Beekeeping[/ame] - a nice little book, lovely drawings

I've heard good things about this one [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bee-Manual-Complete-Step---step/dp/0857330578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341582074&sr=8-1"]Haynes[/ame]

and Celia certainly knows her stuff [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Honey-Bee-Inside-Out/dp/0900147075/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1UL3DPDTK5YZN&coliid=I3HHMM81ALX9WU"]The-Honey-Bee-Inside-Out[/ame]


This is supposedly good [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Honeybee-Democracy-Thomas-D-Seeley/dp/0691147213/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1UL3DPDTK5YZN&coliid=I2F8DKXY2TU5GQ"]Honeybee Democracy[/ame]

and enjoyed this one [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hive-Story-Honeybee-Us/dp/0719565987/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1UL3DPDTK5YZN&coliid=I33UCT5RCNG4ET"]The Hive Story[/ame]


and slightly off the wall, we enjoyed this one [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meditation-Art-Beekeeping-Mark-Magill/dp/1907332391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341585808&sr=8-1"]Meditation & the Art of Beekeeping[/ame]


Worth a few on plants too?

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bee-Friendly-Garden-Vegetable/dp/1899296298/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp"]Bee Friendly GArden - Hooper[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bee-Garden-Attract-Nurture/dp/1905862598/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1UL3DPDTK5YZN&coliid=IUAO13T601O69"]The bee garden[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plants-Planting-Plans-Bee-Garden/dp/1905862806/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1UL3DPDTK5YZN&coliid=I225HV4EFA9EOA"]Plants & Planting Plans[/ame]

 

[Nic Rhodes]

OUR ASSOCIATIONS RECOMMENDS:

Bibliography / Recommended Reading

Starter
A Practical Manual Of Beekeeping: D Cramp
Bees at The Bottom of the Garden, Campion *
Teach Yourself Get Started in Beekeeping, Adrian and Claire Waring

Beginner
A Manual of Beekeeping E B Wedmore
Beekeeping A Seasonal Guide, Ron Brown *
Better Beginnings For Beekeepers, Adrian Waring
Collins Beekeeper's Bible Modern Text
Complete Handbook Of Beekeeping, Herbert Mace
Guide to Bees and Honey, Ted Hooper * Classic text but little on Varroa*
Haynes Bee Manual, Adrian Waring Modern Text
Practical Beekeeping, Clive De Bruyn *
The Complete Guide To Beekeeping Roger A Morse

Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches To Modern Apiculture, Ross Conrad **
The Barefoot Beekeeper, P. J. Chandler **

Intermediate onwards..
A Background To Bee Breeding, John H Atkinson
ABC To XYZ Of Bee Culture, Root
A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee, William Kirk
Anatomy and Dissection of the Honey Bee, Dade
At The Hive Entrance, H Storch
Bee Farming, R. O. B. Manley
Bee Keeping In Britain, R.O.B Manley
Honeybee Ecology: A Study Of Adaptation In Social Life, Tom Seeley
Honey Farming, R O B Manley
Introduction Of Queen Bees, Snelgrove
Plants & Beekeeping, F N Howes
Pollen Loads of the Honeybee Dorothy Hodges
Pollen, it's Collection and Preparation for the Microscope, John White 2nd Edition
Queen Rearing, Snelgrove
Queen Rearing Essential Lawrence John Connor
Queen Rearing, Vince Cook
Queen Bee: Biology, Rearing And Breeding, David Woodward
Sixty Years With Bees, Donald Sims
Swarming, Snelgrove
The Buzz About Bees Biology Of A Super Organism, Jürgen Tautz
The Dances of the Honey Bee, Karl Von Frisch
The Honeybees Of The British Isles, Beowulf A Cooper
The Super-Organism: The Beauty, Elegance, And Strange

Mating In Minature, B Mobus

* Strongly Recommended
** 'Natural beekeeping'

 

[Poly Hive]

Good grief.

Mace and Wedmore for beginners? Shooting a bit high me thinks.

PH

 

[Nic Rhodes]

The idea is to have a few books in each category to encourage people to 'move up', many of these books people dip into as and when they need more info and that comes when they are asking 'correct' questions, learning for themselves and want to 'move up'. Should we just move these up a cat PH? Do you think it too much of a jump for them PH?

 

[the beehive lodge]

Herbert Mace is an oldish book all in inches and not mm old school is best for me

 

[BBG]

Our Society is trying to put together a small library of books for both new beekeepers doing their introductory courses and members looking to embark upon the modules. Hooper is a given but would be grateful to hear your other recommendations.

Thanks in anticipation

Bit boring and detailed, especially for beginners IMHO

 

[Poly Hive]

That is a definite yes from me.

PH

 

[susbees]

You all make valid points re "reading lists, public Libraries, ebooks" etc but we have a limited amount of money which it has been decided WILL be spent on a small collection of books for the membership.
Given that that decision is already made, really wanted your own recommendations of books which you feel offer something that others don't.

We HAD made the decision to spend £300 on upgrading the library and gone the route of compiling a list of purchases until...

...we realised that the out-of-print books were valuable/very costly and "got lost"
...that online info is readily available and used carefully as valuable as the standard texts
...that the standard texts are easily and cheaply available as secondhand books/from online traders
...keeping tabs on library books had proved impossible and no-one could be expected to nanny them at meetings

We agreed to reward our Juniors with a book on passing their Junior and another on passing their Basic. Just sayin' (as some say...infuriatingly).