The Buzz on the Best Beekeeping Books: 6 Great Reads For Beginners

Bees are an important part of the ecosystem and are responsible for pollinating plants and producing honey. Beekeeping can be a rewarding hobby or profession, but it helps to have some guidance when you’re just starting out. Here are 6 of the best beekeeping books that will skyrocket your beekeeping knowledge.

All of these texts will cover the ins and outs of beekeeping, be it beekeeping basics, your first year of beekeeping, or different styles of beekeeping that apply to where you live or the land you live on.

So are you ready to dive in, tend to the bees, and improve your beekeeping skills? Use one of these so that your journey goes smoothly.

6 Books About Beekeeping You Need to Read

1. Beekeeping for Beginners: The New Complete Guide to Raise a Healthy and Thriving Beehive

Being entirely new to Beekeeping can confuse anyone. The more you search, the more complex the process becomes, with a variety of methods and opinions that seem to contradict each other. So here’s a solution that can help streamline and clarify the process.

Beekeeping for Beginners is a book that can help anyone understand basic to the newest methods of keeping bees, constructing beehives, protecting them, and be benefited from them. It is a detailed natural beekeeping handbook providing instructions one-by-one thus leading to easy comprehension. 

This book contains:

• Reasons to consider beekeeping
• A list of every crucial beekeeping gear
• Techniques to construct a Hive and collect bees
• Components of a beehive
• Advice for keeping bees happy and well-nourished
• Guides on working with honey and beeswax 

Furthermore, this book is a combination of knowledge from the past and crucial modern tactics to construct beehives, care for bees, and harvest honey.  So, with 3D diagrams and a thorough guide, this short yet detailed book on organic beekeeping is best for new beekeepers.

2. The Backyard Beekeeper, 4th Edition: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden

The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum is one of the best beekeeping books available today. The content of this popular beekeeping book can be helpful not only for a new beekeeper but also for an experienced one.

It contains a history of beekeeping along with all the information necessary to set up a beehive and get useful results. This book contains data on

• Establishing and maintaining honey bee colonies
• Choosing the best location for the bee hive to ensure safety
• Caring for bees along with swarm management
• Having healthy bees and their food

What makes it different from other books is that this book discusses a lot about diseases, pest management, and avoiding situations that are harmful to bees. Lastly, 25 rules for bee handling and instructions for urban beekeepers make this book a must-have book for everyone. 

3. Beekeeping for Beginners: How To Raise Your First Bee Colonies

If you are someone who knows nothing about beekeeping but still wants to try it, then this book is for you. The Beekeeping for Beginners guide by writer Amber Bradshaw is a book containing all the baseline information necessary to have your own bee colonies. 

The main contents of Beekeeping for beginners are these:

• Fundamentals to start beekeeping 
• Directions on the latest beekeeping practices
• Definitions of all the terms used

Unlike other books about beekeeping, this book guides beekeepers to keep bees healthy in winter and tells about some apps and organizations having information regarding various climates.  Additionally, it has laws to guide you in keeping bees lawfully. 

This book is written keeping only beginners in mind so experienced beekeepers might not find it useful. 

4. The Beekeeping Bible: [5 in 1] The Ultimate Collection to Learn How to Start Your First Bee Colony to Produce Honey in Abundance 

Looking for Beeswax designs for creating patterns as beautiful as artwork? Want to read an experience-based book on beekeeping? Try out The Beekeeping Bible. 

This book explains how you can create bee colonies, and manage them. Moreover, you will also learn about how taking care of bees can be important for our ecosystem. It is written to make you fall in love with bees and beekeeping, and the author’s poetic yet visionary way of talking about this small but mighty flying friend will remind you why you wanted to get started with the practice in the first place.

The contents of this book include:

• Techniques used by experienced beekeepers for the management of the hive
• Methods for identifying Queens, Handmaidens, drones, and worker bees
• The three biggest threats to the hive and their elimination
• A detailed guide on a fully functional hive
• Ideas on creating things from Beeswax for a profit

So, if you are trying to start a business from beekeeping, this book is going to be your favorite guide. It is because the book explains about personal as well as professional gains you can get from beekeeping. 

5. The Beekeeper’s Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

The Beekeeper’s Bible is known to be the best beekeeping book out there. On the outside, the great book has a unique cover attracting the attention of readers. Inside the book are interesting photographs, etchings, and information on everything regarding beekeeping.

The book is said to be a rich source of information for both beginners and seasoned beekeepers alike. The following are the main contents of the book:

• Bees and beekeeping history
• Understanding the honeybee
• Practical beekeeping
• Honey and other bee products
• Recipes and home crafts.

With all this information, you can improve in beekeeping, and be an expert in no time. Using it, you can learn many recipes and ways to use honey and its products for yourself as well as for business, making it a must-have for your beekeeping library. 

It can prove as an amazing bee book for those who love reading about the beekeeping world, cooking, and giving gifts. Even if you’re an advanced beekeeper, you will find this book to be a valuable addition to your library.

6. Buzz into Beekeeping: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Successful Beekeeper

Buzz into Beekeeping is a book you can use as a reference book for Beekeeping. This book can be an interesting and useful guide for readers.

By reading this book, you can choose the best beehive among the top bar hive, Warre, and Langstroth hive. Not only this, but you can also know some tips about buying bees, harvesting honey, keeping beehives healthy, and preparing bees for winter. 

Additionally, if you want to learn the difference between a Queen bee, Drone, and a worker bee, this book will surely help you. After knowing all the dos and don’ts of beekeeping in this book, you can be a master beekeeper in no time. 

Finally, It is for those, who need quick guides on beekeeping and do not like detailed information. 

And The Best Guide to Beekeeping Is…

Beekeeping for Beginners: The New Complete Guide to Raise a Healthy and Thriving Beehive

The best book for starting out is Beekeeping for Beginners: The New Complete Guide to Raise a Healthy and Thriving Beehive by Shawn Baxter. It focuses on starting your first bee hive from scratch and lists out all the necessary essentials you need to know about beekeeping. It is perfect for novice beekeepers, where you’ll learn all the information you need on urban beekeeping. 

FAQs

If I want to start beekeeping, how many bee hives should I start with?

As a beginner beekeeper, you should begin with 2 or more bee hives so you can compare the progress and discover what works to keep the bees healthy and thriving. 

2 bee hives are often used by hobbyist beekeepers just in case pests and diseases affect one of the hives, they still have another hive to sustain their bees.

Sucessful beekeeping has a lot to do with diversity, so creating 2 hives will also help you to increase the genetic diversity of your bees.

Do I need a special suit for beekeeping?

Yes, it is recommended that you use a special suit for beekeeping as it will protect you from stings and other pests. The suit should be lightweight and breathable, with an extra layer of protection

What is the best bee for beginners?

The Italian honey bee is best for beginners as they are non-aggressive and have little to no interest in swarming.  They are also resistant to many of the common diseases, making them more ideal for novice beekeepers.

Italian honey bees are excellent producers of honey and can survive in a variety of climates, making them great for urban beekeeping.  They have low grooming requirements and need less maintenance overall.

What month should I start beekeeping?

For optimal bee colony growth, the late winter or early spring season is the perfect time to start beekeeping. This is because your hive will benefit from the mild weather during this fragile period. In this period of time, bees are able to build up their population and lay brood for newbees in addition to storing high levels of honey which helps them survive through the cold winter months.

Final Thoughts: Best Beekeeping Books For Beginners

If you want to start beekeeping, it is important to know the basics as a beginner beekeeper to begin, maintain, and grow your first bee hive. To ensure your beekeeping journey starts off right and to give your colony the best chance at success, these above-listed beginner books on beekeeping are an absolute must.

Next Steps For Beginning Beekeeping Enthusiasts

Want to made delicious honey wine out of your harvested honey? Few things are more satisfying to the homesteader than making a delicious drink out of their own creation.

Check out this guide to choosing the best honey for mead and getting started on your first batch. You can also pick out the best yeast for mead making by checking out my favorite options, and get an idea of what mead tastes like here.

Happy beekeeping! Cheers to a successful harvest.