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Recommended Beekeeping Books

All beekeepers should have at least some of these beekeeping books in their libraries.

Because no matter how long you’ve been keeping bees, you’ll occasionally encounter some form of bee behavior that’ll have you scratching your head!

What the Heck Are Those Bees Doing?!

If you’re new to beekeeping, I can promise you that there will be times that the behavior of your bees absolutely mystify you. (I consider that to be one of the great benefits of beekeeping!)

So it’s great to have some references on hand to help you figure out what in the heck is going on with those bees.

Yes, I’ve heard the old joke about the bees not having read the books. And it’s certainly true that bees won’t always conform to the behavior we expect of them.

But that’s only our perception based upon our incomplete understanding of them.

Whether we understand them or not, the bees are always behaving exactly as Mother Nature has programmed them to behave.
No Such Thing As Too Much Knowledge…

The more extensive your knowledge base, the less likely you are to be blindsided by the behavior of your bees.

Having a nice library of bee books will help to minimize the surprises (the nasty ones, anyway!).

If You’re Interested in Bees, You’ll Find Many of These Beekeeping Books to be Quite Entertaining

It’s true that some of the books listed below are somewhat dry and academic in nature.

They’re great to have on hand for a reference to help diagnose a beekeeping problem or to de-mystify bee behavior. But you won’t necessarily cozy up with one and read it cover to cover.

On the other hand, many of these books are just absolutely delightful to read.

Some of the books are steeped in beekeeping history, providing insights into how the art of beekeeping has evolved through the ages.

Some are enchantingly effective at communicating the joy of beekeeping, and of communing with nature on such an intimate level.

But all of them highlight just what a fascinating creature the honeybee is. If you’re not already a beekeeper, the best of these books will tempt you into becoming one.

I hope you succumb to the urge!

Recommended Beekeeping Books:

ABC and XYC of Bee Culture

The ABC and XYC of Bee Culture is a classic, and it’s one of my favorite beekeeping books. It’s been around since 1877, when A.I. Root released the first edition. It’s been updated regularly through the years, with the most recent edition being released in 2007.

The Joys of Beekeeping

The Joys of Beekeeping is one of the most delightful books about bees that I’ve ever come across. In fact, if I had to declare one book about bees to be my favorite, it would be this one.

The Hive and the Honey Bee

The Hive and the Honey Bee has been around for many years. It started out as Langstroth on the Hive and the Honey-Bee in 1853, at the dawn of modern beekeeping.

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