Save the bees with natural backyard hives The easy and treatment-free way to attract and keep healthy bees

The husband-and-wife team behind the nonprofit HoneyLove make the case that beekeeping ought to be treated as more than a hobby or money-making enterprise. It is an entrance into a complex and sometimes fierce world that must be engaged and understood on its own terms. Advocating "treatment-free" beekeeping, the authors embrace a "beekeeping backwards" framework developed by fellow beekeeper Charles Martin Simon, through 10 principles, which include "work with Nature, not against Her" and "forget everything you've ever learned and start observing what is really going on." To that end, the book includes an array of chapters with accompanying color photos on such topics as hive designs (for building your own), protective clothing, how to start a hive, how to use smoke to herd a hive, and "requeening" should the hive become fierce (removing a troublemaking queen who stirs up the horde). This book lends practical advice, concrete instruction, and a philosophical approach to the daunting but ultimately rewarding adventure of beekeeping. Color photos. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

As honeybee colonies decline throughout the world, more people are picking up the mantle of beekeeping to ensure these essential pollinators remain. The McFarlands, along with their nonprofit, HoneyLove, present a natural path to raising hives in your backyard. Keeping things low cost is important, and the authors illustrate how to develop hives and have the essential tools without breaking the bank. Expense is also addressed in discussions of natural ways to keep a hive healthy without the use of pesticides or other supplements. Chapters starting with self-analysis cover getting into beekeeping: supplies, acquiring bees, and maintaining good health. Information on seasonal preparation and honey harvesting is presented in a matter-of-fact tone and supplemented by numerous color pictures. The authors note that beekeepers will learn much from their first hive and that good beekeepers keep learning to protect their hives and make them thrive. VERDICT New beekeepers looking for a hobby, as opposed to a business, will benefit from the basic but solid information in this book.-Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., South Deerfield © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.