Format: Paperback  

ISBN: 9780865717206

Pages: 288

Copyright Year: 2012

Availability: Usually ships within 24 to 48 hours unless otherwise noted in the product description.

What's the buzz about the growing popularity of backyard beekeeping? Providing habitat for bees, pollinating your garden and producing honey for your family are some of the compelling reasons for taking up this exciting hobby. But conventional beekeeping requires a significant investment and has a steep learning curve. The alternative? Consider beekeeping outside the box.

The Thinking Beekeeper is the definitive do-it-yourself guide to natural beekeeping in top bar hives. Based on the concept of understanding and working with bees' natural systems as opposed to trying to subvert them, the advantages of this approach include:

• simplicity, sustainability and cost-effectiveness
• increased safety, because of less heavy lifting and hive manipulation
• chemical-free colonies and healthy hives

Top bar hives can be located anywhere bees have access to forage, and they make ideal urban hives because of their small footprint. Emphasizing the intimate connection between our food systems, bees and the well-being of the planet, The Thinking Beekeeper will appeal to the new breed of beekeeper who is less focused on maximizing honey yield and more on ensuring the viability of the bee population now and in the coming years.