Natural Beekeeping

Whether you are a novice looking to get started with bees, 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. Now revised and updated with new resources and including full-color photos throughout, Natural Beekeeping offers all the latest information in a book that has already proven invaluable for organic beekeepers. The new edition offers the same holistic, sensible alternative to conventional chemical practices with a program of natural hive management, but offers new sections on a wide range of subjects, including:The basics of bee biology and anatomyUrban beekeepingIdentifying and working with queensParasitic mite controlHive diseasesAlso, a completely new chapter on marketing provides valuable advice for anyone who intends to sell a wide range of hive products. Other chapters include:Hive ManagementGenetics and BreedingThe Honey HarvestThe Future of Organic BeekeepingRoss Conrad brings together the best "do no harm" strategies for keeping honeybees healthy and productive with nontoxic methods of controlling mites; eliminating American foulbrood disease without the use of antibiotics; selective breeding for naturally resistant bees; and many other detailed management techniques, which are covered in a thoughtful, matter-of-fact way.