Horizontal hives with frames are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and North America. One of these is the golden hive or Einraumbeute, developed at Mellifera Association in Germany, based on Dadant-size frames rotated ninety degrees. The resulting deep format allows for a vertically uninterrupted brood nest and a deep honey crown that is good for wintering. This book describes modifications to the golden hive to buffer the colony against heat/cold extremes as does a tree cavity. With the help of many pictures, details are given of how to make the hive, followed by highlights of running it untreated for varroa over six seasons. A few other modified golden hive projects are also mentioned. About the author After retiring from research biochemistry to north-west Wales, David Heaf took up hobby beekeeping in 2003. He runs about 10 colonies in Warré hives and several in other hive types. In 2010, Northern Bee Books published his book The Bee Friendly Beekeeper and again invited him to write two other books, Natural Beekeeping with the Warré Hive - A Manual and Treatment-Free Beekeeping, (IBRA & NBB) which they published in 2013 and 2021 respectively.

Since varroa arrived in Europe and America in the 1980s, most beekeepers have found it necessary to treat their colonies with chemicals in order to avoid heavy colony losses. But a minority of beekeepers have managed to care for their colonies without the use of chemicals and have done so with not just tolerable colony losses, but with losses that are sometimes equal to or smaller than the losses of those beekeepers who treat with chemicals. With the help of thirty examples of treatment-free beekeepers in Europe and America, including famous names in varroa-resistant bee breeding, this book documents the encouraging success and growing popularity of beekeeping without chemicals, and details the bee husbandries of the beekeepers presented.

In recent years, beekeepers on several continents have been suffering heavy loss of colonies. If we systematically investigate factors causing the losses, we can justifiably ask whether the way in which honey bees are kept is part of the problem. Could hive design, frames, foundation, intrusion, artificial queen breeding, drone suppression, queen excluders, artificial feeding, medication, transhumance and overstocking - all elements of modern beekeeping - be reducing the vitality of bees? This book examines the issues surrounding these practices, drawing where possible on the primary literature in bee biology and apiculture, in order to identify an approach to keeping bees that is more bee-appropriate. It also analyses the fundamental attitudes underlying the different ways in which we choose to keep bees.

The updated bestselling guide to laid-back beekeeping for all, naturally! Are you a beginner beekeeper curious about bees or a practicing beekeeper looking for natural alternatives that work? Then this book is for you! In the second edition of the bestselling beekeeping guide Keeping Bees with a Smile , Fedor Lazutin, one of Europe's most successful natural beekeepers, shares the bee-friendly approach to apiculture that is fun, healthful, rewarding, and accessible to all. This new edition includes dozens of color photographs, new hive management techniques, and an updated version of "Lazutin hive" plans. Additional coverage includes: Keeping bees naturally without interfering in their lives Starting an apiary for free by attracting local bee swarms Building low-maintenance hives that mimic how bees live in nature Keeping colonies healthy and strong without any drugs, sugar, or gimmickry Helping bees to overwinter successfully even in harsh climates Enhancing local nectar plant resources Producing truly natural honey without robbing the bees Reversing the global bee decline... right in your backyard! Keeping Bees with a Smile is an invaluable resource for apiculture beginners and professionals alike, complete with plans for making bee-friendly, well-insulated horizontal hives with extra-deep frames, plus other fascinating beekeeping advice you won't find anywhere else.

Presents detailed instructions on constructing housing and other equipment for beekeeping, including information on installing electric fencing, building hive stands, and making swarm-catching kits.

One of Europe's most successful natural beekeepers shares an approach that is fun, healthful, rewarding, and accessible to all. In this richly illustrated volume, he provides instruction in making bee-friendly, well-insulated horizontal hives.

The easy way to build your own beehives and beekeeping equipment Building Beehives For Dummies is the follow-up book to the bestselling Beekeeping For Dummies. It provides everything you need to learn how to build some of the world's most popular hives and beekeeping accessories. For each design the book includes a detailed materials list (what lumber, hardware and fasteners you'll need), step-by-step building instructions, and illustrative drawings that show how the components all fit together. There are over a dozen plans in all, including the traditional Langstroth hive, the eight frame garden hive, designs for elevated hive stands, the Warre hive, screened bottom board, the Kenya top-bar hive, four-frame observation hive, hive top feeders, and more. The book contains introductory chapters that teach you the basic carpentry skills necessary to build any of the plans in the book. Whether you are a new beekeeper or a seasoned ol’timer, Building Beehives for Dummies provides you with the information you need to plan and succeed at building beehives (and other cool accessories). You'll discover what type of hive to build, hints on how to maintain your equipment, what bees need to stay happy and healthy, where to locate your hive, and much more. Covers "bee space," the critical technical measurement within a beehive that's crucial for easy inspection of your colonies Offers guidance on keeping both urban and suburban neighbors happy, getting proper permissions, and understanding regional laws and regulations Provides creative ideas for dressing up hives for fun and profit In today’s world of self-sufficiency, back-to-basics and sustainability, building beehives is a fun hobby that both you and your bees will appreciate and benefit from.