Keeping Bees - A Book Review

This week, I thought I'd review a book that has been invaluable to me since the very beginnings of my beekeeping experience. As a beginner, I needed help learning how to properly care for my new bees, and the book, Keeping Bees by John Vivian was just the thing I needed to get me started on the right road.

While this book was published in 1986, its information is well documented and the experience of the author shows through in each chapter. Published by Williamson Publishing, the book is available at book stores around the country, including Borders, at a suggested retail price of $10.95. Believe me, it's worth every penny if you are interested in starting beekeeping as a business or hobby.

Organized into nine chapters, plus three appendixes, this book covers everything from setting up your first apiary to diseases that can affect your hive. The following is a list of the chapters that are included.

• Chapter One - Planning Your Apiary
• Chapter Two - Beekeeping Equipment
• Chapter Three - Building and Stocking the Apiary
• Chapter Four - Introducing the Bees
• Chapter Five - Early Spring Management
• Chapter Six - The Golden Harvest
• Chapter Seven - Slow Months and Second Spring
• Chapter Eight - Bees Free for the Taking
• Chapter Nine - Diseases and Other Problems

In addition to the text material, there are plenty of diagrams and photographs to illustrate the points that the author is making in a particular chapter. One of the most helpful to me was the materials and tools list, the construction diagram, and the actual construction photos for making a foundation press. This can be found on pages 131 through 136, and can help the beekeeper save a ton of money over buying a commercial press. It is tips and illustrations such as this that make this book so valuable.

Not only is this book a valuable resource, but it is just plain good reading as well. Mr. Vivian's easy going style and vast array of experiences are fun to read. If you've ever sat around a coffee shop and listened to old time farmers talk about their experiences with each other, you'll know exactly the feeling that I got when I read Keeping Bees. It almost was like the author was sitting right there telling me the stories of his experience.

If you are looking for a way to increase your knowledge or gain knowledge in advance of your first experience with beekeeping, I would highly recommend this book. For the beginner, it provides a solid foundation to build upon, and for the experienced beekeeper, it is a valuable reference tool and guide to some low cost tips that can help the budget.

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