Today's beekeepers face unprecedented challenges, a fact that is front-page news with the spread in recent years of the mysterious and deadly colony collapse disorder (CCD). Numerous pests have made chemical treatment of hives standard practice, yet resistance is building, which in turn creates demand for new and even more toxic chemicals. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making matters worse-and not just for bees, but for other living creatures and the environment as a whole. Ross Conrad's Natural Beekeeping was originally published on the heels of CCD's first widespread impacts-and since then it has become an invaluable resource for organically minded beekeepers. Today, more people than ever are getting into beekeeping-especially in urban areas-and they are looking to keep bees more naturally, using both traditional and modern best practices to support hive health. In this newly revised and expanded edition, Natural Beekeeping offers the same holistic, sensible, "do no harm" alternative to conventional chemical practices found in the original edition, combining a comprehensive program of natural hive management with new and updated sections on a wide range of subjects, including, The basics of bee biology and anatomy; Urban beekeeping; Identifying and working with queens; Selective breeding of bees for natural pest and disease resistance; Parasitic mite control; and, Hive diseases. This new edition also includes a comprehensive glossary for beekeepers new and old, as well as an extensive list of beekeeping resources and color photographs throughout. A completely new chapter on marketing provides valuable advice for anyone who intends to sell a wide range of hive products.
Whether you are a novice looking to get started with bees, an experienced apiculturist looking, for ideas to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) approach, or someone who wants to sell organic honey at a premium price, Ross Conrad's Natural Beekeeping offers both a gentle philosophy and a wealth of valuable information. Book jacket.