INTRODUCTION

If practiced properly, beekeeping is an enjoyable and beneficial endeavor—both for the beekeeper and the bees. A healthy hive during warm summer months is a powerhouse of efficiency and productivity that is always a pleasure to watch. The air in the apiary is filled with the sound of thousands of airborne foragers and the floral odor of newly gathered nectar. New beehive equipment, with its own pleasing smells, is purchased and assembled with the anticipation of it being filled with large honey crops and gentle bees that pollinate blossoms all around the community.

This short list is only a small sample of the many positive aspects of beekeeping. However, as with any meaningful craft, problems can arise. Indeed, they should even be expected. Managing the challenges presented by an ailing colony cannot be considered pleasurable, but resolving them successfully is certainly fulfilling. No matter the bee colony’s problem, there is always a way that the determined beekeeper can help to improve matters. Bees are resilient and, as a beekeeper, so must you be.

The beekeeping craft can be practiced from a small domestic level up to a large commercial operation. For those who keep bees, the craft is challenging and diverse enough to provide growth and enjoyment for a lifetime. This book discusses 100 of the most commonly encountered problems in beekeeping and provides practical solutions. There are issues that apply to all levels of experience, from the beekeeping basics in chapter one to more advanced practices, such as the queen-grafting techniques covered in chapter five. The essentials of beekeeping—beekeeping equipment, hive management and bee biology—are all covered here, and a chapter is devoted to the pests and diseases known to thwart honey bees. Consideration is also given to the collection and processing of honey and there is also mention of other by-products such as beeswax.

For the keen beekeeper who wants to expand their knowledge even further, or if you don’t find your specific concern addressed within these pages, the further resources section will direct you on the right path. But let it be acknowledged that, although humans have been keeping bees for hundreds of years, there are still aspects of bee biology and the life of the colony that remain a mystery to beekeepers and scientists alike.

You can either dip in and out of this book, referring to specific problems as and when they become relevant to you, or you can read the entire collection in one go. Whichever approach you choose, I hope that the knowledge you gain will enhance your experience, and that you enjoy many years of fruitful beekeeping.