My Review: Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees

Title: Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, 2nd Edition: Honey Production, Pollination, Health (Storey’s Guide to Raising)

Authors: Malcolm T. Sanford and Richard E. Bonney

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Publication Date: July 10, 2018

About the Book:

This comprehensive guide is a must-have resource for anyone interested in beekeeping. Whether you’re a novice just starting out or a seasoned beekeeper looking for more knowledge, this book provides a wealth of information. The authors, Malcolm T. Sanford and Richard E. Bonney, have expertly blended the science and art of beekeeping to create a guide that is both informative and accessible.

The book covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of planning hives and installing a colony, to more advanced topics such as preventing disease and managing productive hives. The second edition has been totally redesigned and now features color photos and graphics, making it even more user-friendly and engaging.

Content:

The book is divided into clear, easy-to-follow sections, each dealing with a different aspect of beekeeping. It starts with the basics, providing a solid foundation for those new to the hobby. It then moves on to more advanced topics, providing a deep dive into the world of beekeeping. The book also includes up-to-date information on honey bee health, making it a valuable resource in today’s changing environmental landscape.

Format:

The book is available in several formats, including Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, and Spiral-bound, catering to a variety of reading preferences. The paperback edition is a comfortable size to hold, with dimensions of 7 x 0.5 x 9 inches and a weight of 1.15 pounds, making it easy to carry around or keep on your bookshelf.

Accolades:

The book has been selected as the textbook for the University of Montana’s Online Beekeeping Certificate, Apprentice Level Course, attesting to its quality and comprehensiveness. It is part of the Storey’s Guide to Raising series, a well-respected series in the field of animal husbandry.

In conclusion, “Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, 2nd Edition: Honey Production, Pollination, Health (Storey’s Guide to Raising)” is a valuable resource for anyone interested in beekeeping. Its comprehensive coverage, practical advice, and user-friendly design make it a must-have for anyone looking to delve into the world of beekeeping.

My Opinion

The three subheadings beneath the title of this popular book – Honey Production, Pollination, Health – offer an indication of its general scope. Indeed, now into its second edition, Storey’s Guide to Keeping Bees has all the stuff of a solid beekeeping handbook for the use of both amateurs and experts. As you might expect, it prioritizes easy reference, clear illustration (much expanded for the second edition) and is simply one of those general books to be picked up when needed.

Storey’s Guide to Keeping Bees also boasts the academic credentials of Professor Malcolm T. Stanford, a professor emeritus of the University of Florida and a retired cooperative extension apiculture specialist. He has also authored the more specific Beekeeping Without Borders and he is the editor and author of the Apis Information Resource News – the longest running monthly newsletter of its type. The beekeeper would expect to be in good hands here; indeed, the book bares the fruit of specialist knowledge.

Its real achievement, therefore, is that it combines this specialist knowledge (there probably isn’t a more qualified apiculture specialist than Professor Stanford) with a total accessibility. This accessibility is achieved not through “keeping things simple” but rather providing fairly detailed introductions to the rudiments of beekeeping. On top of this foundation much additional reference information is provided, meaning this book truly is for beginners as well as the more experienced.

There have been some reported issues about the quality of the print and binding in this hardback edition, but this doesn’t seem to be a universal problem and, in any case, the book seems more than capable of withstanding the years of use it seems almost destined to have.

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