My Review: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping

Title: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping

Authors: Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer

Introduction:

“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping” is a must-have book for anyone interested in starting their journey into beekeeping. Authored by Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer, both expert beekeepers and owners of Golden Rule Honey, this book serves as a comprehensive guide that takes readers step by step through the entire process of beekeeping.

Content:

The book begins by introducing readers to the fascinating world of bees and the structure of a hive. It provides detailed information on the inhabitants of a hive and how it functions. The authors then guide the readers through the process of collecting bees and ensuring their health.

The book also provides valuable insights into raising a queen bee, an essential aspect of maintaining a thriving hive. It further delves into the process of harvesting honey and wax, two of the most rewarding aspects of beekeeping.

As beekeeping is a seasonal activity, the authors also provide guidance on how to store hives during the off-season, ensuring the survival and health of the bees for the next season.

Publication Details:

Published by ALPHA on May 4, 2010, the book is written in English and spans 208 pages. The physical dimensions of the book are 7.5 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches, making it a handy guide that can be easily carried around. The ISBN-10 is 1615640118 and the ISBN-13 is 978-1615640119.

Return Policy:

The book is eligible for return, refund, or replacement within 30 days of receipt, ensuring that the purchase is risk-free for the buyers.

Conclusion: “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping” is more than just a book; it’s a comprehensive guide that equips readers with the knowledge and skills they need to embark on their beekeeping journey. Whether you’re a novice beekeeper or someone looking to expand your knowledge, this book is a valuable addition to your library.

My Opinion

The cheeky title aside, this is not a book aimed solely at idiots. Featuring much information, this is yet another great general guide that “idiot” beginners and seasoned beekeepers will find much value in.

The book is wieldy, durable, and very well organized, meaning beekeepers should find it a very practical guide, to be consulted as and when needed and perhaps even worth taking into the field.

The book is also typified by a strong strain of anti-chemical polemic, and it seems clear that its authors Stiglitz and Herboldsheimer are very much beekeepers of the organic and natural stripe. The book advises against harmful miticide use, artificial feeding, and other techniques that are suggested to be perilous to honeybee health. That said, the reader doesn’t need to be a full-on top-bar hive back-to-nature beekeeper in order to find value here; after all, it is first and foremost a general guide, accessible to beginners.

Where this book perhaps oversteps the mark in its organic bent is its special emphasis on small cell foundation. Here, Stiglitz and Herboldsheimer seem to forget that this practice is actually not widely practiced by organic beekeepers; some remain unconvinced and, at any rate, small cell foundation is hardly appropriate for beginner beekeepers.

Yet natural beekeeping of course has a lot to say for it and it does not necessarily detract from this excellent beginner’s guide, that the authors are such passionate advocates of it. This is simply another great book for the beginner beekeeper and the general reader alike.

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