My Beekeeping Library

People ask me what I did to prepare to keep bees. Well I  have over one hundred really great mentors at our bee club. More specifically what books did I read? I  have several that I have collected over the years, some well before beekeeping and some recently given as gifts. Here is my list of books that I use as a reference and guide. Not much has changed over the thousands of years that people have been interacting with bees (except, pests and pesticides).

Beginning with BEES

LSU AgCenter 

Louisiana Honey Plants

Dale Pollet, Ph.D.

an excellent resource! Dale is an incredible speaker. Don't miss him this August at Farm to Table

The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture; A Cyclopeadia of Everything pertaining to the care of the Honey-bee; Bees, Hives, Honey, Implements, Honey-plants, etc. Facts Gleaned from the Experience of Thousands of Bee-keepers, and Afterward Verified in Our Apiary.A.I. Root and E.R. Root 1910, first edition 1877

The Hive and the Honeybee 

Dadant -edited by Joe Graham

Honeybee Democracy

Thomas D. Seeley

Bee

Claire Preston

Bees in America; How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation 

Tammy Horn

Beconomy;  What Women and Bees Can Teach Us about Local Trade and the Global MarketTammy Horn

The Backyard Beekeeper; An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden

Kim Flottum

Beekeeping for Dummies

Howland Blackiston

The Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping; Everything You Need to Know

Samantha Johnson and Daniel Johnson

The Xerces Society Guide to Attracting Native Pollinators

Foreward by Dr. Marla Spivak

The Book of Honey; over 200 sugar free recipes 

Claude Francis & Fernande Gontier , Autumn Press

Wick, Wax and Talk; 2nd Time Around

Maxine Wilhelm

The Life and Times of the Honeybee

Charles Micucci

A Book of Bees

Sue Hubbell

Bee Pollen and Your Health

Carlson Wade

BEE POLLEN

with Morton Walker 

( acquired in 1981 when I worked at Whole Foods Market)

and of course I had to read the Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd. but  it was not really about beekeeping... 

New Bee Bonnet

My new bee bonnet is easier to wear and see out of

 I am no macho beekeeper. 

I wear a suit, gloves, boots and a bonnet. 

Oh, and yes, occasionally pearls ; D

 I  have only been stung  about 4or 5 times so far while working my hives, 

and each time, it was because I was not following proper procedure;

 not enough protection, working the hives before a thunderstorm, 

or wearing shorts.( what was I thinking?)... 

So when my friend asked if I had another bonnet that she could use,

since her husband does not wear any bee suits 

 and is into the Tao or Zen of beekeeping...

 I gave her one of my extra bonnets. 

She asked if it was  really okay that she wanted to wear one??

Heck yea!. 

Bees are not trained pets. They can act however they wish.  

It is up to you the beekeeper to be prepared. 

Bees seem to be able to smell fear and anxiety. 

Wearing proper attire makes for a calmer experience 

in the event of a misstep, or mishap. 

 Feel comfortable and confident. 

You will be happier. 

The bees will be too.

Honey in the Making

Patience, Charity, Grace and Love's Hives

Honey in the making - a frame from Patience's Hive

Honey for a Wedding Day

Honey from Love and Patience's Hives

Recently a dear friend got married. 

 I went out early in the morning on the day of their wedding and gathered some honey as a gift for her Wedding and "Honeymoon". I took a frame from both "Love"s hive and from "Patience"'s hive.

 I know that some people think I am daft for naming my hives instead of numbering them, but I think its important to give the queens a name.  I enjoy the poetry of it.  "Faith"'s hive always takes more work than the others. "Love" is always a very active hive. When my Veterinarian came over to open my hives with me, I cautioned her that "Love"'s hive was not as gentle as "Grace"'s hive, which we had just opened.  She quickly replied- "Love needs to be fierce"..  and so a bit of honey from "Love", and from "Patience, I thought, was a nice way to start a marriage. 

waiting for the bride

Good News for Louisiana Hobbyist Beekeepers

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/bobby_jindal_sale_homemade_bak.html