Which is the best beekeeping book?

[RodrigoAliod]

Hello, I am enjoying this forum a lot and I want to improve my english and my bkping knowledges. I would like to buy a good book. Which one is the best in your opinon?

Thank you.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Always recommended is A Guide to Bees and Honey by Hooper. I also like Beekeeping Encyclopaedia by Hooper & Morse (a bit dated but easy to read and use)

 

[PBee]

The Buzz about Bees - Biology of a Superorganism ... Jurgen Tautz.
Excellent photography .....

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DD-DQm_C5o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DD-DQm_C5o[/ame]

 

[BKF Admin]

ROB Manley British beekeeping.
Oliver Field Honey By the Ton
Beekeeping Encyclopaedia ? do many members have a copy of this ?
I had to import my from the States a few years ago.

 

[RodrigoAliod]

Wich is the most current? Sorry but i dont know anything about british beekeeping literarure.

 

[itma]

Wich is the most current? Sorry but i dont know anything about british beekeeping literarure.

Many of the books suggested are "classics".

It rather depends on whether you are wanting to learn about recent British practices (which do relate to our climate and often our 'National' hive design), or to learn "beekeeper's English".
Or perhaps you want to learn something new about bees and their behaviour ... ?

My suggestions
Haynes Bee Manual - a modern book, aimed at beginners, it introduces the important words and describes ordinary beekeeping stuff. As always, some people will disagree with some of the advice!
Honeybee Democracy by Seeley. American book on bee behaviour in the context of swarms. A well-written, interesting book in English, but not about beekeeping in Britain!
A Guide to Bees and Honey by Hooper is probably the standard text for traditional, orthodox British beekeeping. But it is not up to date. And I wouldn't describe it as a great book for improving one's English.

I'm slightly surprised to see the recommendation for Tautz's book above. Its a German book, translated by an American, and the principal recommendation is for the photography .... nice pictures indeed, but maybe look for a Spanish translation.
However, the 50 year old German classic The Dancing Bees by von Frisch does have an absolutely excellent English translation. The Engish is beautifully readable. Clear, lucid and accessible. So I would recommend it as an interesting book to any student of the English language. And it has the advantage of being available very cheaply.

 

[enrico]

Bees at the bottom of the garden is an easy read and explains most things in an easy to understand method.

 

[Luminos]

With 300 hives I'm guessing already you know "how to keep bees" - so I would recommend H. Storch's "At the Hive Entrance."

 

[clv101]

Haynes Bee Manual - a modern book, aimed at beginners, it introduces the important words and describes ordinary beekeeping stuff. As always, some people will disagree with some of the advice!

I'd also recommend this book for the beginner. Lots of pictures so you're left in no doubt about the terminology - a very easy read.

 

[verney]

With 300 hives I'm guessing already you know "how to keep bees" - so I would recommend H. Storch's "At the Hive Entrance."

Only 250USD:
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042TZFAK/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=[/ame]

Available in PDF for free from the internet.

 

[itma]

... I want to improve my english and my bkping knowledges. I would like to buy a good book. Which one is the best in your opinon? ...

With 300 hives I'm guessing already you know "how to keep bees" - so I would recommend H. Storch's "At the Hive Entrance."

Yes, I think it depends on the priorities.

- an introduction to the English beekeeping vocabulary (and practices)
-or-
- a book in good but accessible English that a beekeeper might find interesting
-or-
- a book about bees, worthwhile for its content (even despite the way its written) that is available in English.

Wich is the most current?

While Storch's book is an interesting curiosity, I wouldn't recommend it as a text to improve one's English.
And is it really "the most current" book available to you, Luminos? I know rural France can seem to be in a different century, but I didn't realise that it really was!

 

[alanf]

For a free and illustrated guide to beekeeping vocabulary in English there's the largest supplier's catalogue, search for Thornes beekeeping supplies and download the pdf version from their website.

Otherwise, as already mentioned, it depends on what your priorities are. You could be looking for a good introduction to beekeeping in English at conversational (or social media) level. For the vocabulary and practice of hobby beekeeping the UK, Alan Campion's "Bees at the bottom of the garden" (2001) is a good introduction. For detail and a wider view using a modern business English idiom, including lists in point format there's David Cramp's "A Practical Manual of Beekeeping" (2008). The Haynes "Bee Manual" (2011) principally by Claire and Adrian Waring is another recent one in modern English. It has lots of photos that can match the vocabulary to what you might be familiar with in Spanish.

Many of the older books are written in blocks of text that are heavy going if English is not your first language. We have several beekeepers in that position locally and I don't want to sound patronising; they are intelligent and educated people. They struggle with the formal structure and long sentences of English as it was written 50-100 years ago. Actually, the books are heavy going for many younger native English speakers who are more familiar with an informal or journalistic style of writing. That is one of the reasons why I have reservations about recommending Hooper. Another is the patchy way even the latest editions have been updated, for instance the 2010 revision added to the disease chapter to cover varroa. Elsewhere it has advice from the 1980s that it is a disease which must be notified to your local MAFF office (a UK government department that was reorganised and changed name in 2001).

 

[susbees]

For a free and illustrated guide to beekeeping vocabulary in English there's the largest supplier's catalogue, search for Thornes beekeeping supplies and download the pdf version from their website.

Otherwise, as already mentioned, it depends on what your priorities are. You could be looking for a good introduction to beekeeping in English at conversational (or social media) level. For the vocabulary and practice of hobby beekeeping the UK, Alan Campion's "Bees at the bottom of the garden" (2001) is a good introduction. For detail and a wider view using a modern business English idiom, including lists in point format there's David Cramp's "A Practical Manual of Beekeeping" (2008). The Haynes "Bee Manual" (2011) principally by Claire and Adrian Waring is another recent one in modern English. It has lots of photos that can match the vocabulary to what you might be familiar with in Spanish.

Many of the older books are written in blocks of text that are heavy going if English is not your first language. We have several beekeepers in that position locally and I don't want to sound patronising; they are intelligent and educated people. They struggle with the formal structure and long sentences of English as it was written 50-100 years ago. Actually, the books are heavy going for many younger native English speakers who are more familiar with an informal or journalistic style of writing. That is one of the reasons why I have reservations about recommending Hooper. Another is the patchy way even the latest editions have been updated, for instance the 2010 revision added to the disease chapter to cover varroa. Elsewhere it has advice from the 1980s that it is a disease which must be notified to your local MAFF office (a UK government department that was reorganised and changed name in 2001).

Excellent post alan. I agree totally over the (in)accessibility of older books and patchy editing/beginner texts particularly of Hooper for non-native speakers (and many others).

I would recommend the (free) Storch At the Hive Entrance
the (free) Thornes Catalogue and the big set of (free) NBU guides from the Fera/NBU website.

 

[BeeJayBee]

The most recent edition of Hooper, whilst it might be the 'classic' new beekeepers book, is difficult to use because the cross referencing in the index is inaccurate. The language is also a bit too old fashioned to be used as a modern English primer.

Storch's book, although quite old, is in small chunks of information so is easier to read and easier to 'pick at'.

I would recommend the (free) Storch At the Hive Entrance
the (free) Th**nes Catalogue and the big set of (free) NBU guides from the Fera/NBU website.

You can read online, or download, a copy of 'At the Hive Entrance' here http://archive.org/details/AtTheHiveEntrance on a creative commons license. There are several e-reader type formats available.

The Fera/Beebase page containing "Advisory Leaflets, Training Manuals & Fact Sheets" is here https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=167

 

[Luminos]

Yes, I think it depends on the priorities.

- an introduction to the English beekeeping vocabulary (and practices)
-or-
- a book in good but accessible English that a beekeeper might find interesting
-or-
- a book about bees, worthwhile for its content (even despite the way its written) that is available in English.




While Storch's book is an interesting curiosity, I wouldn't recommend it as a text to improve one's English.
And is it really "the most current" book available to you, Luminos? I know rural France can seem to be in a different century, but I didn't realise that it really was!

*shrug*
I thought it was an interesting book - you may not - I did not say anything about it being "current" - Ted Hooper isn't exactly bang up to date...

 

[itma]

*shrug*
I thought it was an interesting book - you may not - I did not say anything about it being "current" - Ted Hooper isn't exactly bang up to date...

It was the OP that asked for the "most current" book.
Similarly, he asked for a book to help improve his English.

Storch's German text was published in English by a Belgian publisher - having been translated by "F. Celis" - someone who's turn of phrase doesn't seem to me to be that of a native English-speaker. (And the translator was certainly not a modern English beekeeper.) Is your water supply "in order"? Do you have "alleys" between your frames? Or "large surfaces of open brood"?
These sort of things just sound strange - not normal English usage.

Yes it is indeed an interesting book.
But I am baffled by people thinking that it meets the requirements stated by RodrigoAliod.






I would certainly agree that downloading the free catalogue from Thºrne dot co dot uk would be a good move. Most pieces of beekeeping equipment are illustrated and named. Thorn€ are not the only supplier - but their big catalogue is readily available.
Similarly, the official literature from the NBU (National Bee Unit - a very small government department, within FERA, which is within DEFRA - the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) does describe the current advice on many beekeeping concerns, and is available, free, from the link given by BeeJoyful.

 

[Easy Beesy]

I suppose we should mention the BBKA book - but I don't know the name of it - anybody help me out with details?

 

[susbees]

I suppose we should mention the BBKA book - but I don't know the name of it - anybody help me out with details?

BBKA Guide to Beekeeping_Davis & Cullum-Kenyon....currently whipping through it as it's a recommended beginner text for our two year to Basic course.

 

[DanBee]

Excellent post alan. I agree totally over the (in)accessibility of older books and patchy editing/beginner texts particularly of Hooper for non-native speakers (and many others).

I would recommend the (free) Storch At the Hive Entrance
the (free) Th**nes Catalogue and the big set of (free) NBU guides from the Fera/NBU website.

I agree with both you & Alan in general, but I would add (perhaps counter) that Ribband's Behaviour and social life of the honeybee and Butler's World of the honeybee are both very readable and draw largely upon understandable observation, experimentation, and inference which is still valid and understandable today. Both are also readily and cheaply available 2nd hand.

 

[DanBee]

I would certainly agree that downloading the free catalogue from Thºrne dot co dot uk would be a good move. Most pieces of beekeeping equipment are illustrated and named. Thorn€ are not the only supplier - but their big catalogue is readily available.

I would second that - I hand out two popular equipment suppliers' catalogues at the start of beginner's courses, with the proviso that they are to be used as picture dictionaries first, and only as shopping catalogues after they have handled bees