Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile have created the best single-volume guide to the hobby and profession of beekeeping. The Beekeeper's Handbook provides step-by-step instructions for setting up an apiary, handling bees, and working throughout the season to maintain a healthy colony and a generous supply of honey. Various colony care options and techniques are explained so that beekeepers can make the best choices for their hives.
The Beekeeper's Handbook is an invaluable resource for both beginner and veteran beekeepers. This fully updated and expanded fifth edition includes:
- Hand-drawn instructional diagrams that provide step-by-step instructions
- Updated research regarding the health and behaviors of bees in different habitats and what operations may best suit individual needs
- Information on how to identify, treat, and prevent the introduction of Varroa destructor mites and other harmful intruders in a colony
Diana Sammataro is a retired bee scientist who has been writing and teaching beekeeping for over twenty years. She is coauthor of The New Starting Right with Bees.
Alphonse Avitabile is a beekeeper, a bee researcher, and Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut, Waterbury. His published articles can be found in scientific journals and in the American Bee Journal and Bee Culture.
"Since the publication of the first edition of the handbook in 1973, many thousands of novice and experienced beekeepers have relied on this book as the preferred single-volume guide to bee keeping"
– British Journal of Entomology and Natural History
"The Beekeeper's Handbook has guided thousands of beginning and advanced beekeepers in the how-tos of this entertaining and profitable pastime. Simply put, it is the best of the best of beekeeping books."
– Roger A. Morse