Learning to keep bees involves learning a seemingly endless amount of information. Finding the best bee keeping book can make this easier and having several books on beekeeping means you will have a small library of resources to use when you have questions. The best bee keeping books listed below gives general information about keeping bees, the bee community, bee keeping supplies, and how to deal with problems as they arrive.
Beekeeping is one of the more complicated part of homesteading and there are many challenges that can arise when you are managing a hive. We strongly recommend starting your beekeeping journey with a course or by reading several books.
If you are looking to get starting beekeeping, check out the Best Bee Hive Starter Kits.
As an Amazon Affiliate I may Receive Compensation from Links Below
Contents
The Best Bee Keeping Book
Learn more about this amazing hobby with this list of the best beekeeping books.
If you are looking for one book on beekeeping, this is your book. This book is clearly written and has a wealth of knowledge for both the beginner and veteran bee keepers. We’ve used this book for years and it helped us get started and serves as a reference when we have questions.
Next Top 10 Beekeeping Books
The Bee Book
This is a beautiful book with plenty of drawing and illustrations and its a complete guide to bee keeping as well as growing a bee garden. There is also plenty of information about bees in general and how to attract pollinators. This is another excellent reference book and one of the best beekeeping books for beginners.
The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook: A Guide to Creating, Harvesting, and Cooking with Natural Honeys
This book is an excellent follow up to the book below (the Backyard Beekeeper). This book goes into honey extraction, honey recipes, and bee keeping, but does assume you already have an understanding of the basics. This is also a beautiful beekeeping book loaded with photos.
The Backyard Beekeeper
This is an excellent bee keeping book and another great choice if you’re looking for the best beginner beekeeping book. It comes packed with information which makes it a great reference book for bee keeping and one you can return to again and again for up to date information. Since the science of beekeeping continues to change, get the latest edition.
The Thinking Beekeeper: A Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives
This book focuses specifically on natural beekeeping in top bar hives. It’s slightly different then the other books about beekeeping as it emphasizes working with bees naturally and promotes sustainability and chemical-free bee keeping. This is a good beginner bee keeping book or for someone looking to change their bee keeping practices.
All My Beekeeping Shit Journal
If you are getting into beekeeping, it incredibly important that you have a way to keep records. This is a great book to go along with a beginner bee keeping book listed above. It also makes your hive checks go more smoothly as you have a list of things to check and will help you with your beekeeping record keeping.
The Complete Step-by-Step Book of Beekeeping
This is another book with great illustrations, and is one of the best beekeeping books if you are looking for general information to get started. I especially like the detailed calendar for beekeeping throughout the year. This book distils beekeeping down and keeps it simple for someone just starting out.
Beginning Beekeeping: Everything You Need to Make Your Hive Thrive!
This is another great beginner bee keeping book. This book is especially easy to read with a friendly format and appealing photos and illustrations. It’s also a good reference for a range of problems that you may come across while bee keeping.
Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions
Taking care of honeybees can be hard and comes with many challenges. This book is different then other books on beekeeping as it is mostly on common problems for bees an general and in beekeeping. This is an excellent reference where you can find information on colony collapse disorder, mites and other problems.
Beekeeping For Dummies
This intro beekeeping book covers every aspect of keeping bees from hive set up and maintenance to bee disease, to honey extraction. This is one of the beekeeping books that walks you through start to finish how to begin beekeeping in your own backyard. If you want to build you own beehive, check out: Building Beehives for Dummies.
Honeybee Democracy
This is a fascinating read about the honeybee colony. This book is not specifically about bee keeping, but gives a depth of understanding to the bees and the entire hive. Bees use collective decision making and operate as their own democracy. This book makes a great gift for beekeepers as well.
Looking for more information on keeping bees? Check out:
- What do Honeybees do in Winter?
- Where are all the bees?
- Why Dead Bees are a Problem for Everyone
- The Basics on Swarming Bees
- Growing a Bee Garden
- Beekeeping 101
What makes a Good Beekeeping Book?
A good beekeeping book should provide a comprehensive foundation for beekeepers, from beginners to seasoned apiarists, by covering essential topics such as hive management, bee health, and honey production, all while fostering a deep appreciation for the invaluable role bees play in our ecosystem.
Look for a book with Illustrations and step-by-step instructions to demystify beekeeping techniques, ensuring accessibility to readers of all levels of expertise. Furthermore, make sure to look for a book the tie in environmental stewardship, emphasizing the importance of sustainable and ethical beekeeping practices.
Ultimately, a successful beekeeping book not only equips its readers with the knowledge and skills to nurture thriving bee colonies but also instills a profound respect for these remarkable creatures and their vital contribution to our world.
