Author Topic: Good books for the new beek?  (Read 11062 times)

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Offline Green bee

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Good books for the new beek?
« on: September 04, 2016, 08:57:47 pm »
Ok so been looking for some new material to read. So far I have read First Lessons IN Beekeeping and Bee keeping for Fun And Profit. "First Lessons In Beekeeping" is a great book, The other not so sure about. Anyways , just wondering what you guys recommend for us new beeks. I realize there is lots of info on the internet but it's just something about books that I enjoy.  Thanks in advance for all your input!
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline iddee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2016, 09:04:58 pm »
I like Kim Flottum's "backyard beekeeping". Then there's always ABC/XYZ of beekeeping.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline Green bee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2016, 09:31:12 pm »
I hear lots of good things about both of those, I will check them out.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2016, 03:13:34 pm »
My recommendations can be found here;

   http://www.outyard.net/getting-started.html
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2016, 01:51:40 am »
green bee..........

my recommendations? you ought to see my library............ :D

i am with you, lots of info on the net, but there is something about a book that i also enjoy!  i don't read off the net, gotta have it, read it, tab it, mark it up, make notes, etc......go back for reference.

as stated abc/xyz.  the hive and the honey bee.

for those i mentor, or help to get started in beekeeping i usually recommend these two,
1. the beekeeper's handbook, (Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile)
2. biology of the honey bee, mark winston

tom seeley, anything written by doctor tom seeley is great reading!  honey bee democracy.........wisdom of the hive........

also, i have heard and read many good comments about dewey carron's book, 'honey bee biology and beekeeping'. might have to get this for myself!

good luck in your reading choices, there are many!  most of all enjoy!
i keep wild things in a box..........™
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Offline Green bee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2016, 07:59:48 pm »
Wonder way that is riverbee , I can read a book but read something with more than a few pages on the web, I just can't do it. I also like to have a book to highlight and keep notes. I think it's got something to do with me being a hands on kinda guy. Who knows but I am with on that one.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline riverbee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2016, 12:55:04 am »
not sure why that is?  guess i just like to have the book in my hand, carry it off where ever i am, where ever i go, take it with me; and highlighter, pen and 'post it' markers.....   :D

funny thing; i recycle my epi pen containers........i put my highlighter/pen/post it strip in the container and keep it handy for any books i am reading and great for travel as well.... :D
 

i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
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Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2016, 08:36:24 am »
As to reading, I think all of the above suggestions will supply the beekeeper with good, usable knowledge.  I don't any of us can know too much about bees, but i do think that many of us tinker with our bees too much.  The first year or two that I kept bees, I made up excuses to myself to "inspect" the bees.  My bees survived the learning curve, but they did not produce any honey to harvest.  Now, I stay out of there lives as much as i think prudent and have good honey harvests.  So, read the abc/xyz book and the others and even the Michael Bush book.  Many of this forum think very little of Michael Bush, but he is a top notch bee biologist.

A sidebar on sticky notes:  It is my fervent hope that I don't kill someone over sticky pad notes.  When I first started supervising drilling operations in the 80's, it was a common practice to record every detail on a sticky note and stick it on the wall of the job shack.  When someone off the drilling site called and wanted information we walked around the office searching for the correct sticky pad note.  There were times that three grown men were practically searching for "the" note.  It drove me crazy.  I discovered that everyone simply put info on a sticky pad, stuck it one the wall, and WALA, IT WAS FILED.  TASK FINISHED. 

I put a spiral notebook on the desk and told everyone to carefully note each phone call and info request into the book and each day we would tab the book to the day on the daily report, i.e., day one, day two, day three............  That way we could go back to the day or close to the day and find the information.  I'm sure there are people that make good use out of sticky notes, but to date, everyone that I know that uses sticky notes uses them to falsely complete a task.  I don't allow them in my office.  Rant over.

lazy

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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2016, 08:46:07 am »
All these books mentioned so far are great.  For a beginner I like First Lessons in Beekeeping by Keith Delaplane,
for an easy to understand overview.  The Beekeepers Handbook by Sammataro and Avitable is a easy to follow reference book.  For those that like a college text book to reference there is Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping/i] by Dewey Caron.

I have a Michael Bush book, but folks can save a few bucks because everything in the books are on his web site for free.
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Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2016, 03:23:07 pm »
GB,
I have backyard beekeeper (Flottum) very good, reading now increase essentials  L.J. Connor about nucs. I've also borrowed bee's for dummies and building hives for dummies ( thats good, gives all the measurements)
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Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2016, 03:38:01 pm »
Lazyshooter,
I use the sticky notes a little hanging out the top, to identify where I've highlighted, so quick access in each book.

Offline Green bee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2016, 05:39:47 pm »
Thanks guy for all the suggestions, I will definitely be checking some of these out. ;D
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Green bee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2016, 05:46:44 pm »
Hey Mikey , bee keeping for dummy's would probably work good for me. Sometimes I am not the sharpest tool in the shed...at least that's what my wife tells me :sad:
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Perry

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2016, 07:25:04 pm »
funny thing; i recycle my epi pen containers........i put my highlighter/pen/post it strip in the container and keep it handy for any books i am reading and great for travel as well.... :D

Till you get stung, grab for your epi and instead highlight the spot where you should've jabbed yourself! :o :o

I agree, Beekeeping for Dummies is a pretty good book to start with. :yes:
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Offline Green bee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2016, 07:51:53 pm »
funny thing; i recycle my epi pen containers........i put my highlighter/pen/post it strip in the container and keep it handy for any books i am reading and great for travel as well.... :D

Till you get stung, grab for your epi and instead highlight the spot where you should've jabbed yourself! :o :o

I agree, Beekeeping for Dummies is a pretty good book to start with. :yes:
  hey Perry are you agreeing that I am a dummy or the book is good? :D :D
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Perry

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2016, 08:08:49 pm »


[/quote]  hey Perry are you agreeing that I am a dummy or the book is good? :D :D
[/quote]

I have the book as well so I'm saying it's the book! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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Offline Green bee

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2016, 08:22:38 pm »
Oh ok  :laugh: :laugh:
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2016, 12:43:51 am »
In addition to those already mentioned, I recommend,"Storey's guide to keeping honey bees" and any other book by Richard Bonney.

I find myself going to "The ABCs and XYZs of Beekeeping" often.
Neill Sayers
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Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #18 on: September 09, 2016, 08:23:23 am »
Somewhere in my old used up mind, I remember Apis posting a list of books to read.  Use the search button above and look for the Apis suggested books.  Remember that only God could know more about bees than does Apis.

lazy
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Offline Perry

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Re: Good books for the new beek?
« Reply #19 on: September 09, 2016, 05:20:59 pm »
Somewhere in my old used up mind, I remember Apis posting a list of books to read.  Use the search button above and look for the Apis suggested books.  Remember that only God could know more about bees than does Apis.

lazy

Some very smart people (good looking too) were born in Vernon, BC where Apis lives. :) :D
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
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