The best source for information on California bees and how to help them thrive in your garden Identification and guidance for planting

Bill Turnbull had no intention of becoming a beekeeper. But when he saw an ad for beekeeping classes–after a swarm of bees landed in his suburban backyard–it seemed to be a sign. Despite being stung on the head–twice–at his first hands-on beekeeping class, Turnbull found himself falling in love with the fascinating, infuriating honeybee. As a new beekeeper, Turnbull misplaced equipment for months, got stung more times–and in more places–than he cares to remember, and once even lost some bees up a chimney. But he kept at it, with a ready sense of humor and Zen-like acceptance of every mishap. And somehow, along the way, he learned a great deal about himself and the world around him. Confessions of a Bad Beekeeper chronicles Turnbull’s misadventures (and brief moments of triumph) in the curious world of backyard beekeeping–and also highlights both the threat to our bee population and what we can do to help these vital little creatures do their wonderful work.

Whether you are a novice looking to get started with bees, an experienced apiculturist looking for ideas to develop an integrated pest-management approach, or someone who wants to sell honey at a premium price, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Now revised and updated with new resources and including full-color photos throughout, Natural Beekeeping offers all the latest information in a book that has already proven invaluable for organic beekeepers. The new edition offers the same holistic, sensible alternative to conventional chemical practices with a program of natural hive management, but offers new sections on a wide range of subjects, including: The basics of bee biology and anatomy Urban beekeeping Identifying and working with queens Parasitic mite control Hive diseases Also, a completely new chapter on marketing provides valuable advice for anyone who intends to sell a wide range of hive products. Other chapters include: Hive Management Genetics and Breeding The Honey Harvest The Future of Organic Beekeeping Ross Conrad brings together the best “do no harm” strategies for keeping honeybees healthy and productive with nontoxic methods of controlling mites; eliminating American foulbrood disease without the use of antibiotics; selective breeding for naturally resistant bees; and many other detailed management techniques, which are covered in a thoughtful, matter-of-fact way.

In the tradition of Lars Mytting's Norwegian Wood, a beautifully illustrated chronicle of a year in the life of a beekeeper from Swedish author Lotte Möller The study of bees has often been considered a divine occupation, as the creature's attention to detail and purpose is so special, and the honey they produce almost magical. In this compelling cultural history that moves beautifully through the beekeeper's year, Swedish beekeeper and writer Lotte Möller shares her understanding of bees and bee lore from antiquity to the present with deep knowledge and sharp wit. Möller gives insight into the activity in the hive and describes the bees' natural order and habits. She explores the myths of the past, and how and when they were replaced by fact. In stories from her travels, Möller encounters a host of colorful characters, from a trigger-happy California beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, to the legendary Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast Queen, now popular around the world. Filled with bee illustrations buzzing from cover to endpaper, Bees and Their Keepers is a gorgeous book for the beekeeper and general reader alike.