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I dedicate this book to keepers of bees, in fact or wannabee. Beekeeping is a journey. May your journey be fulfilling.
Contents
I remember my first encounter with honey bees. Perhaps you remember yours, too. The farmer Ralph Blood, who owned the land where I grew up in southern Vermont, was a beekeeper. As part of my Boy Scout experience, I was working on various merit badges. Ralph was a Scout resource for practically everything related to animals and plants. He had a maple grove, raised cows, grew corn, kept chinchillas, and had four honey bee colonies, which he kept in the small apple orchard he maintained. He was more than happy to help a young teenager fulfill the requirements of the Boy Scout merit badge.
Ralph had a spare veil and gloves, and one day he told me to come to the farm with a long-sleeve shirt and pants and sturdy boots. He fired up a smoker using old hay from the cow barn and off we went to the orchard. He smoked the colony entrance and lifted the hive cover. Nothing happened. I looked in from the top and saw bees moving about. Ralph pried a frame free and lifted it out. I might have been a step or two farther behind, but stillnothing happened. These were not the fearsome stinging bees I was expecting. They were at home and remained very calm as we invaded their hive. Bit by bit, I inched forward and even helped puff the smoker. Ralph cut a piece of honey-filled comb for me, and from that point on, I was hooked.
It has been said that there is more written about honey bees than virtually all other organisms, except for humans. Over a lifetime of beekeeping, which has encompassed 42 years of teaching at three different universities and 10 wonderful years of retirement, I have found this to be quite true. Despite all I know, theres always something new to learn about bees (and not just honey bees).
As a teenager, I came to understand why bees were important to us and important to Ralph. Today, bees of all kindsnot just honey beesare every bit as important to millions of beekeepers just like him. But the future of bees is not as bright as it was back then. Certainly, Ralph mustve lost a colony or two over the years. What has changed is the sheer magnitude of the lossthe large number of colonies that are dying for one reason or another. This decline is the result of a combination of stressors, including changes to bee habitats and food sources, exposure to pesticides and more threatening pests, modern agricultural practices, and the effects of climate change. Bees are in trouble, which means that humans are in trouble, too. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), bees are responsible for pollinating approximately 75 percent of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the United States. Of course, it is not only the final food product that is at risk of loss, but the beauty of the natural world, which is also directly or indirectly influenced by bee pollination. How much longer, one wonders, will we be able to stop and smell the flowers?
But there is hope. Gardeners, homeowners, individuals committed to improving the environment, hobbyists who have time and interest to devote to an interesting and fun experiencetheyre all doing something. They are planting flowers, flowering trees, and shrubs; they are starting honey bee colonies or erecting mason bee houses; they are committed to helping reduce the use of toxic pesticides in our environment; and they are joining together with their neighbors to save the bees.
I have assembled The Complete Bee Handbook in three parts:
will provide an overview of bees: their evolution, their present role in society, and their uncertain future.
will examine the most well-known bee, the honey bee providing a cultural history of beekeeping, a glimpse into the workings of the hive, and a snapshot of modern backyard beekeeping practices; what it will not provide is a step-by-step guide to beekeeping (although Ive included a few of my favorite beekeeping guides in the Resources appendix).
features 15 recipes for bee lovers, for everything from honey-centric desserts, to mead, to beeswax candles and soap.
