The Lore of the Honey-Bee by Tickner Edwardes

Am the delighted recipient of The Lore of the Honey-Bee by Tickner Edwardes (1865 - 1944). He had always wanted to be an author from childhood and wrote a number of romantic novels. This 1908 book is full of information that is still pertinent today and will be great winter reading.

When the First World War broke out he applied to join the army as a fighting soldier but was told that at the age of 50 he was too old. However he did join the Royal Army Medical Corps as a private, and worked his way through the ranks to become a Captain particularly involved in entomology – the study of insects.

Following his enlistment he decided to enter the priesthood and subsequently became vicar of Burpham. It was during his time there that another of his books was to achieve fame - Tansy 1921. It was made into a silent film on location in the village and was highly successful, starring some of the most popular stars of the era. 

Beginner's Guide to Reading

As a new beekeeper, I was careful to keep my go-to reference materials limited to a trusted few as there are so many ways to accomplish the same end and just as many opinions on how to do it. It can be more confusing than helpful and am grateful for some of the mentors at BUMBA that help new beekeepers decipher it.

Now that I am completing my first full year, I find that I am more capable of digesting the information and have been reading all that I can, from vintage books to e-zines. Here are a few (besides those talked about elsewhere in the blog) that I find extremely helpful as a new beekeeper:

1. The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum.

2. BUMBA's Yahoo Group where you can search past posts, read uploaded files and browse links to recommended sites.

3. Kim Flottum's email newsletter, The Buzz.

4. Brushy Mountain Bee Farm's webinars, which are available for viewing in their video library.

5. Google's free ebooks on beekeeping.

I hope that you, too, will continue your bee education and find some of these sites just as helpful.

The How-To-Do-It book of Beekeeping by Richard Taylor

I borrowed this wonderful book from fellow beekeeper Jonathan. It is such a great read and full of useful information but sadly, it is now out of print. And the demand for it has driven the used book price way out of my league!

If anyone would like to offer their copy to a good home, I would be willing to pay $20 and a jar of honey for the kindness.

The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture

The Premier Beekeeping Information Source - Forty First Edition
A Cyclopedia of Everything Pertaining to the Care of the Honey Bee Gleaned from the Experience of Thousands of Beekeepers, Honey Bee Experts and in our Own Apiary - A.I. Root 1897

Recommended by Becca and Anna as a wonderful reference to have on hand. First published in 1877 and expanded over the years as the industry developed, this book is a must-have reference containing a wealth of information and sage advice, formatted in easy-to-find encyclopedia form.

In my humble review, The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture earns 5 stars! I was amazed as the breath of coverage in this book. Everything I need to know, including many things I didn't know I needed to know!

Beekeeping for Dummies

The first book added to my bee library is Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blackiston. Besides an easy read, the book explains everything... and I mean everything! Fascinating things such as how the queen's pheromones control the entire well-being of the colony and a day by day description of the life of the worker bee.

I was far enough into the book that I felt as though I recognized what I was viewing when the beekeeping co-workers, Becca and Anna, invited me along as they checked in on their hives. I was delighted to see the line up of faces of the worker bees as they observed us from between the tops of the frames! (Then it was time for a little smoke to disburse them.)

In my humble review, Beekeeping for Dummies earns 5 stars. For an absolute newbie this book covers just about everything one needs to know about beekeeping, complete with helpful tips, a beekeeper's checklist and helpful resources.