Best Beekeeping Book for Newbees

[Newtobees]

Hello everyone!

     I have just begun to learn about beekeeping so my first question is:
What is the best "beginners" book for beekeeping?

Thanks for your input!

Newtobees

[beesNme]

hi newtobees

i am just starting out as well. one book i found helpful was ,Bee Keeping for Dummies.  also i have been checking out alot of info on these forums, the plus sude is being able to leave posts and have others that are experienced being able to steer you in the right direction.

good luck

[Billy B]

+1 for Beekeeping for Dummies

I've read more than a few beekeeping books and this I think is the best first book to pick up.   

On the resources page on my Blog (see sig) I have reviewed a few books, including Dummies.   But of them, as well as a few I have read since (The Backyard Beekeper, Beekeepers Bible, and The Complete Idiot's Guide), I'd still recommend Dummies as the first read.

[stanisr]

The Practical Beekeeper by Michael Bush

[buzzbee]

I was impressed when I bought Beekeeping For Dummies. It was the first book in quite some time I read cover to cover in just a couple sittings. There are two additions now. The second came out after varroa and ccd were more commonplace. i have not read the second edition so I cant say which one to look for.

[Newtobees]

Thanks everyone for the input!  I will check out Dummies first on go from there!

thanks
NTB

[GSF]

Newtobees;

FYI - Sherlock Holmes uses Michael Bush's book "The Practical Beekeeper"

He probably done a lot of investigating before he got it :)

[T Beek]

I collect 'old books' as a hobby so I have several 'beekeeping titles' that I really enjoy; But-MBs "The Practical Beekeeper" is still one of my favorites, despite not being old at all. 

If you can find it, Richard Taylor's "How to do it Beekeeping" is another (long out of print).  IMO; No Beekeeper should be without at least one copy/version of ABC XYZ of Beekeeping (I've got one from 1908 and one from 2008....both are very cool...very interesting, informative, and not quite as contradictory as one might expect).

All of them seem to bring me back to "The Practical Beekeeper" though........for its practicality  :)  Before its publishing I'd already printed most of it from MB's generous website, but purchased my own copy as soon as it was released (I have a habit of writing in the columns and underlining important passages in text books)......       .....just wish it had an index sometimes ;)

[buzzbee]

I have a couple others in my library too,
The Hive and the Honeybee
First Lessons in Beekeeping
both Dadant publications
and one other that's actually a story of a migrant beekeeper
Following the Bloom by David Whynott

[Michael Bush]

The Complete Idiots Guide to Beekeeping is a much better book than Beekeeping For Dummies, if you are looking to avoid chemicals in your hive...

You may find a lot of information that you will wish you had taken into account before you bought equipment in my book, but you can read it for free on my web site.  The book is pretty much the same material.

[buzzbee]

Good morning Michael,
Glad to see your able to break cluster for a bit! :)

[Matson]

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on for the last two years. Anything Kim Flottum, and Natural Beekeeping by Ross Conrad is extremely enlightening. Beekeeping for dummies. and all of the blogs, youtube stuff you can consume.

I'm finding that this has shown me what makes sense to me and how I will attempt to keep my hives, which will arrive in June.

[Michael Bush]

>Glad to see your able to break cluster for a bit!

I'm buried so deep, I just hope to see daylight some day...

[sterling]

The Practical Beekeeper by Michael Bush

I will second the vote on MB's book. I've read all the other books listed and all are good but for the hobby beekeeper Michael Bushes  book will help in every area of backyard beekeeping. But as he said it's on his website. But I like having the hard copy.