This edition is one of several produced for the Department of Primary Industries and these books are also available as eBooks that can be purchased online for immediate download. See our librarian, Sue Speck, for assistance.

In this book beekeepers who are considering supplying honey bees for pollination to plant industries such as almonds will find information on how to:

• identify ideal foraging conditions for honey bees
• assess risks to bees at the pollination site
• assess hive strength
• prepare a commercial contract

For growers there is information about the conditions required for the welfare of bees and the optimum environment for their pollination activity. It talks about:

• a water supply for bees
• pollen and nectar for bees – there may be advantages in having other flowering plants nearby
• access roads
• a site plan and map
• safety information for workers
• knowledge of the risk to bees from pesticides
• a commercial contract

However, this book serves as a good general modern guide pertaining to beekeeping relative to all Australian states.

The clearly defined chapters contain concise and well-referenced information suitable not only for the novice beekeeper but also the experienced one who wants to gain further knowledge about important aspects such as pesticides, orchard design and management, hive management, plant structure and so on.

Appendix 2 contains an invaluable, detailed list of plants benefiting or relying on honey bee pollination, and describes their individual qualities and value to bees.

Edited by Barbara Horwood

Produced by Education Delivery, Tocal College (NSW) for the Department of Primary Industries (NSW Government), 2018

The author describes this book as “52 family- friendly activities and experiments exploring the life of the hive”. The “labs” in the book contain a list of materials, step-by-step processes, ways to extend the activities, suggestions for young children, and facts about honeybees.

Although the labs are stand-alone projects, in many cases they complement and enhance each other. Because some of the items required for the labs are the products of the hive (honey, pollen, propolis, and beeswax) the beekeeper can collect, gather, scrape and extract these materials from his/her own hive. Non-beekeepers can purchase the requirements from a local beekeeper, health food store or online.

The activities in this book are ideal for enhancing the exploration, curiosity and learning about bees and beekeeping as a family.

Reviewed by Barbara Horwood

This spiral-bound book is a planting guide for bee forage and describes planting choices “from the backyard to the bush” – and to the farm – and will assist with increasing available bee food.

It is written at a time when the world has become aware of the plight of the honeybee, and this book has been written in the context of providing guidance for planting decisions in favour of plants that benefit honeybees and native pollinators. That point is made, however, that some plants are listed as weeds should not be planted. Your local nursery can provide you with advice as to whether a plant is a listed weed.

The book covers information relating to urban sites in general, domestic gardens, garden species selection, streetscapes and species, urban open spaces, rural areas and species; in addition, a chapter is devoted to non-migratory beekeeping – the basic backyard beekeeper. Large colour photographs, together with useful information about climatic and soil conditions relating to geographic areas, as well as maps, enhance the overall presentation.

Generally, this guide gives ideas and choices of species to bring about improved outcomes for honeybees and the Australian pollen- and nectar- using fauna, including mammals, insects and birds.

Reviewed by Barbara Horwood

An Australian Government publication –Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, 2012

A PDF of the entire publication can be downloaded from our gardening page. 

The introduction to this book states, "This book is not intended for personal medical guidance nor is it meant to be a substitute in any way for proper medical care." The current spate of beauty treatments relating to "bee venom" indicates a reasonable level of interest in the community. Whilst this book by Charles Mraz is not about beauty "treatments", it does look at the therapeutic application of bee products, or apitherapy - an ancient practice that has found its way into modern medicine.

The author has had a leading role in the use of bee venom to treat auto-immune diseases, particularly arthritis and multiple sclerosis, and he provides anecdotes and case histories based on his experiences as a practitioner of bee venom therapy. It's an interesting read on a somewhat controversial topic.

Reviewed by Barbara Horwood

Charles Mraz, (1995), Queen City Publications, Burlington, VT (USA) ISBN 0-9642485-0-6 Soft cover, 87 pages Level: Intermediate

This soft-covered guide has been written by Howland Blackiston, the former president of the Backyard Beekeepers’ Association. He is also an international lecturer on bees and beekeeping. As is usual with most “Dummies” books, this is a hands-on guide to beekeeping. It covers all that is needed to be known from starting and managing a backyard colony to the latest tools and techniques. It is a useful guide not only for the “newbie” but also for those who have been practising beekeeping for some time and require an additional or a different perspective on practical application.

This edition also has helpful information on managing a top bar hive, a topic not often covered by some beekeeping manuals. The book is generously peppered with explanatory diagrams and photographs to support the comprehensive information provided, together with useful tips and pointers, charts and graphs.

The appendix at the end of the book provides some helpful resources as guides to websites, vendors, associations and journals for further reading. This is a well laid-out comprehensive guide which would be an asset for any beekeeper wishing to manage honey production at any phase.

The author, Kim Flottum has been at the helm of “Bee Culture magazine for about 25 years. He is the author of “The Backyard Beekeeper” and “The Backyard Beekeeper’s Honey Handbook”. He keeps bees, gardens, and writes for a variety of publications about both of these subjects, but mostly about bees and beekeeping. He is an experienced writer and, though this book has an American focus, its general content and information is universal to beekeepers, and extremely informative.

This book is embellished with numerous colourful photographs and detail supporting his 15 comments. It’s extremely easy to read with well set out chapters covering all the essential aspects of beekeeping, so is an invaluable aid to the novice beekeeper. However, in this book, he takes serious beekeepers past the beginning stages and past the learning curves where everyone learns by their mistakes.

He looks at beekeeping through a different perspective in today’s modern world and offers commentary on migratory beekeeping, pesticide- polluted fields, monoculture crops, and unpredictable queens; then he has suggestions about solutions and rewards for keeping bees a better way – a good read for “any beekeeper who is ready to think outside the box”.

From honey experts, authors C. Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum together give a comprehensive introduction to the origin, flavour, and culinary uses of more than 30 varietals of honey. The Honey Connoisseur teaches consumers everything they need to know about how to taste, select, and use a diverse selection of honey. After a brief explanation of how bees produce honey, the authors introduce the concept of terroir, the notion that soil, weather, and other natural phenomena can affect the taste of honey.

The book goes on to give a thorough course in the origins of honey and lays it all out on the table the whole story including the dark side of honey imports. The reader may never look at processed honey in the same way ever again. This book is an easy read and stands alone in its’ description of flavours in relation to region and flora.

A Beekeeper’s Year follows the progress of three novice beekeepers with three different types of hive, as they navigate their way through their first year of beekeeping. Follow their journey as they set up and manage their Top Bar, Warre and Flow hives – from obtaining bees to inspecting their hives, extracting honey and closing down the hive for the winter.

A Beekeeper’s Year is an ideal introduction to backyard beekeeping, with everything you need to know about what equipment is required, managing your hives, keeping your bees healthy and pest and disease control. It is packed with stunning yet practical photographs to help you understand these fascinating creatures that are essential to the production of our food. An enjoyable book and should be on everyone’s list.

Bee keeping isn’t just for the professional farmer—bees can be kept in any situation from the simple backyard patio and garden to large expanses of farm land. This comprehensive and attractive beekeeping guide, from Hobby Farm Press, the same people who bring you Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home magazine, Beekeeping takes readers from finding their bees, housing them, collecting honey and using their produce for pleasure and possible profit. This colorful book, including entertaining chapters on the history of bees and beekeeping, serves as an extensive introduction to help novice beekeepers fully understand this exciting hobby!

Robert Owen was introduced to the world of beekeeping in 2002 and hasn’t looked back. At first beekeeping was a hobby but it has now evolved into a family business, Bob’s Beekeeping Supplies, that offers beekeeping equipment and education. This book is the culmination of his own years of expertise and experience and also draws on the individual tales he has heard of the challenges and successes of managing honey bees in various environments

The book is aimed at both the novice and experienced beekeeper in Australia and explains in detail the steps required to manage colonies of bees. Supported by over 350 photographs and drawings, each action to be performed is explained in detail with photographs showing the steps as well as the final result. Many potential beekeepers are unclear about the equipment they need to buy and how to obtain their first colony of bees. The first chapters in the book explain in detail the equipment needed as well as equipment that may be useful later on as their confidence and experience grows. The chapter `Your First Bees’ explains how to obtain bees, where to locate them in the garden, and the basics of colony management. In addition to chapters on keeping bees, there are detailed chapters on the life cycle of the honey bee, extracting honey, the bee-friendly garden, how to enter honey into competitions, native bees and rearing queens. The result is a comprehensive manual that includes material not available in other Australian, North American or European books and is the ultimate Australian reference source.