Book Description
The various chemicals used in beekeeping have, for the past decades, held Varroa Destructor, a mite, and other major pests at bay, but chemical-resistance is building and evolution threatens to overtake the best that laboratory chemists have to offer. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making the problem worse. Natural Beekeeping flips the script on traditional approaches by proposing a program of selective breeding and natural hive management.

Conrad brings together the best organic and natural approaches to keeping honeybees healthy and productive here in one book. Readers will learn about nontoxic methods of controlling mites, eliminating American foulbrood disease (without the use of antibiotics), breeding strategies, and many other tips and techniques for maintaining healthy hives. Conrad's reservoir of knowledge comes from years of experience and a far-flung community of fellow beekeepers who are all interested in ecologically sustainable apiculture. Specific concepts and detailed management techniques are covered in a matter-of-fact, easy to implement way.

Natural Beekeeping describes opportunities for the seasoned professional to modify existing operations to improve the quality of hive products, increase profits, and eliminate the use of chemical treatments. Beginners will need no other book to guide them. Whether you are an experienced apiculturist looking for ideas to develop an Integrated Pest Management approach or someone who wants to sell honey at a premium price, this is the book you've been waiting for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Disorganized and simplistic
This book is one of the worst-organized books I've read on the topic of beekeeping.Conrad seems to be unable to put content on like topics together, so unless you sit down and read the entire book in one sitting, you will be hunting all over the place for information (with little help from the minimal index).For example: on page 50 he introduces the idea that an alternative brood nest arrangement is the use of a deep sandwiched by two shallows.Not until page 207 does he explain the benefits of this arrangement, and he never talks about other brood nest configurations, such as three mediums.

This is not unusual: information is scattered throughout the book with little or no regard to how the reader would approach it.In fact, Conrad seems to not be sure who his reader is: half the time he introduces a technical term without explanation, the other half he talks about it as if the reader were a beginning beekeeper.

The book is also filled with tortured language (he uses "mother," "queen mother," and "queen" interchangeably for "queen" in one section as if they meant the same thing) and digressions into his religion that would be less tiresome if there were any new information to be found among them.The information on hive management and honey harvest is very conventional, with extraction of honey from drawn comb and the continual re-use of comb from year to year (even though, by his own report, he ought to have learned his lesson from a lingering problem with AFB caused by this practise).If you were looking for information on more, well, natural forms of beekeeping like horizontal hives or top-bar hives, or beekeeping in conventional hives that comes closer to how feral hives like to operate, look elsewhere.There's a brief section on small-cell, but nothing at all about natural cell.Conrad doesn't seem to have ever even observed a feral hive in preparation for this book.

And if you are looking for a reference on the latest techniques in disease management for naturally managed hives, this is the wrong book.His summaries of the treatments and their benefits and drawbacks is cursory at best, and the information contained there could be found for free on the internet in much greater detail (and more clearly written).In addition, his citations can include such sleepers as a verbal report from somebody in his beekeeping club.

Even the information on operating a certified-organic apiary is pretty useless: the federal standards are explained more clearly on the USDA web site than Conrad seems to be able to do it.He can't seem to decide whether he's writing a long commentary or a manual of practice.

This book failed to provide me with any useful information on organic treatments for bee pests and diseases.Its focus on strictly conventional hive management was disappointing.The disorganized arrangement of information means that even if I wanted to use it as a reference I would spend half my time hunting for topics.A real disappointment.

Organic beekeeping
I have really enjoyed this book.The author isn't just writing about beekeeping, but applies the philosophy of beekeeping to life in general.Very interesting approach.

"NEW" Natural Means to Beekeeping
Excellent coverage on methods for those that want to find a way to back away from chemicals in our hives.

I own a lot of beekeeping books that are read & re-read through winter months & when need some guidance.

Like them all.

But if I could have only two, it would be Natural Beekeeping & the Backyard Beekeeper.

Very refreshing approach to what I like to call Bee Stewardship.

Pricey but pretty good.
I've bought some pretty good beekeeping books for less than $20.My best book, the current edition of Dadant's The Hive and the Honey Bee, cost me $36 and it's around 1300 pages long.At $35 Conrad's book is too expensive.

I don't really have a problem with the content of this book.There is a lot of white space on the pages that seem to be intended to make it a larger than necessary book.

The author did a good job.I like the book.I don't like the price.

Well written and lots to think about
All too often beekeepers are all to quick to treat a perceived problem with a drug or a chemical.Unfortunately this has been a problem in all agriculture for decades.Ross Conrad in his book, Natural Beekeeping, discusses the problems associated with this approach and suggests alternative ways to handle the problem without chemicals or drugs.Much of his writing is about his philosophy of beekeeping and that of organic beekeeping.Don't expect a recipe approach to beekeeping problems or exacting details.They are not there.On the other hand, he gives many very good ideas and approaches one can try or research.He realizes that there is more than one approach or method to keeping bees and that there are regional differences and needs in beekeeping.Therefore, there is no right or wrong way to keep bees as some other books would lead one to think.This book is excellent at giving beekeepers ideas on keeping healthy hives naturally developing a program that will work in one's climate and style of beekeeping management. Mr. Conrad is on target and echoes many of the same principles of chemical free beekeeping I have tried to teach those that I mentor.It was reassuring to hear it from another source.Additionally he gave me many new things to consider. ... Read more

Product Description
Binding Unknown ... Read more

Book Description
Southeast Asia is the center of honey bee diversity. All species of the genus Apis are found here. This rich diversity constitutes a spectacular resource for research in honey bee biology. Most, if not all of the diseases, pests and parasites of honey bees are found here as well. This book contains reports by research scientists from around the world on biology, colony management, pest management, hive products, bee flora, and related areas. Considerable attention is placed on bee mites, their biology and control, both chemical and non chemical. An extensive Bibliography of Asian Honey Bees completes the text. ... Read more

Book Description
In the last twenty-five years, progress in information gathering and dissemination has surpassed that of any other period of history. Apiculture and apicultural research have been very much a part of this progression. This volume lists, in a very simple format, just about everything that has been written on bees, bee science, beekeeping, hive products etc for each Commonwealth country in the Tropics.

Some entries contain a note to amplify the title or to give further brief information. Each entry is accompanied by symbols and abbreviations, explained in a key, which indicate the original language, publication date, country of publication, and details of where the full version may be obtained. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS IS A LARGE BOOKLET CONSISTING OF RESEARCH PAPERS,CONTAINING PICTURES,BEE PESTS,HYBRID BEES,HONEY BEE DISEASES,AND ALOT MORE IN THIS BOOKLET. ... Read more