Urban beekeeping is on the rise as swarms of people do their part to help nurture local food systems, make gardens more productive, connect with nature, and rescue honey bee populations from colony collapse disorder. Honey bee hives now grace the White House Lawn, the roof of Chicago City Hall, the National Arboretum, and the top of the Fairmont Hotel. Even Hagen-Daazs has gotten into the act with its well-funded campaign, Help the Honey Bees. With this book as their guide, beekeepers will understand how to plan a hive, acquire bees, install a colony, keep bees healthy, maintain a healthy hive, understand and prevent new diseases, and harvest honey crops. The book also provides an overview of the honey bee nest and colony life, insights into honey bee anatomy and behavior, an exploration of apiary equipment and tools, season-by-season beekeeper responsibilities, instructions for harvesting honey, and detailed, up-to-date information about diseases and other potential risks to bees. This comprehensive reference will appeal to both the experienced beekeeper who seeks help with specific issues and the novice eager to get started.

"The foundation for this book is two previous works by Richard E. Bonney, Hive Management (1990) and Beekeeping : a practical guide (1992)

Acknowledgments -- Preface -- 1: Beginning Beekeeping -- Seven basic tips for getting started -- Dimensions of beekeeping -- Beekeeper's commitment -- Time commitment -- Financial considerations -- Stings -- Legal considerations -- Finding resources -- 2: Origin And History Of Beekeeping -- Honey bee evolution -- History of beekeeping -- 3: Bee's Life -- What is a honey bee? -- Inside the colony -- Queen -- Worker -- Drone -- Varroa mite -- Activities and behavior -- Patterns of behavior -- 4: Choosing Hive Location -- Colony and your community -- Weather issues -- Forage availability -- 5: Getting Equipped -- Hive design and dimensions -- Hive materials -- Supers -- Frames and foundation -- How to make a frame with pins -- Bottom board -- Queen excluder -- Covers -- Hive stand -- Hive scale -- Feeders -- Pollen trap -- Tools of the trade -- Beekeeper garb -- 6: Enter The Bees -- Smoker basics -- Package bees -- Managing package bees -- Installing a nucleus colony -- Starting with an established colony -- Swarm! -- Wild or feral colony -- 7: Managing honey bee colonies -- Working a colony -- Beekeeper as manager -- Colony's yearly -- Life cycle -- Population cycle -- Apicultural calendar -- Late-season management -- Requeening -- Managing nutrition -- 8: Taking The Crop -- Honey crop -- Harvesting the crop -- Processing the crop -- Storing the crop -- Chunk and comb honey -- Other bee products -- 9: Pollination -- Unique challenges -- Small-scale pollination -- Is pollination for you? -- 10: Diseases And Pests Of The Honey Bee -- Innate defense mechanisms -- Brood diseases -- Adult diseases -- Parasitic mites -- Integrated pest management -- Tolerant or resistant stock -- Colony collapse disorder -- Wax moth -- Small hive beetle -- Black bears -- For more information -- Glossary -- Model beekeeping ordinance -- Sample pollination contract -- Resources -- Sampling of U S beekeeping supply houses -- Sources of beekeeping information -- Index.