Beekeeping books

stereomatic

Anybody know of any good beekeeping books that include plans for bee hives etc

Conmaicne Mara

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guide-Bees-Honey-Selling-Beekeeping/dp/1904846513/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388073029&sr=1-1&keywords=bees+and+honey

That's about the best book you'll get on the subject. I would strongly advise joining an association and doing a beginners course. I am not sure if there are plans in that book, they are likely available online if you search. I would think unless you're set up with tools etc you would be better off buying ready made.

Username John

stereomatic wrote: »

Anybody know of any good beekeeping books that include plans for bee hives etc

Hello,

This is an online reference, with some good details on hive measurements.
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/newhome.html

For a book -a guide to bees and honey by ted hooper is good.

stereomatic

i already have the Ted Hooper book

EamonKilkenny

You will a buy hives cheaper than making them. Crowd in cork sell kit form very cheap. As above, join a local group, they need more herding than a batch of cattle!

Conmaicne Mara

One thing, buy native bees.

noworries2004

Where do you buy native bee's.
My father had 20 hives 15 yrs ago but is only left with one now an di am looking to try and populate them up again.
Where can i buy a hive of bees?

Geezer1000

noworries2004 wrote: »

Where do you buy native bee's.
My father had 20 hives 15 yrs ago but is only left with one now an di am looking to try and populate them up again.
Where can i buy a hive of bees?

Contact Jim http://www.irishbeesupplies.com/ he will tell you where you can get sorted. They are back on the 2nd Jan

bertie1

Join your local association , they will put you in contact with other beekeepers when bees become available in June

Effects

noworries2004 wrote: »

Where do you buy native bee's.
My father had 20 hives 15 yrs ago but is only left with one now an di am looking to try and populate them up again.
Where can i buy a hive of bees?

You can always split your single hive around swarming season to give you two hives.

Effects

Seemed that bees were in short enough supply last year due to the bad winter. Join your local association and get networking if you want to buy bees. When the they come up for sale they usually get snapped up pretty fast as demand seems to outweigh supply at the moment.

stereomatic

Are there any other beekeeping books worth looking at

Neonjack

http://www.amazon.com/Bee-Manual-Complete-Step-Step/dp/0857330578

I got this the first year I had bees and found it brilliant. Easy to follow and covers everything.

Native Honey Bee

Northern Bee Books have probably the biggest range of bee books in these islands. Ben Harden in Wicklow is their agent here. Both parties are very helpful and approachable.

Hillybilly4

If you're into more "natural" beekeeping, I can recommend The Barefoot Beekeeper http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Barefoot-Beekeeper-P-Chandler/dp/1409271145/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403278042&sr=8-1&keywords=the+barefoot+beekeeper

also The Rose Hive Method http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Rose-Hive-Method-Conventional/dp/0956702600/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E7BJF9NBY6PV5BPJ4M0

and Natural Beekeeping with the Warre Hive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Beekeeping-Warre-Hive-David/dp/1908904380/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403278152&sr=1-1&keywords=warre+hives

Reesy

stereomatic wrote: »

Are there any other beekeeping books worth looking at

Hi,

Yes, there are tons. What are you looking for? Beginner or advanced? Practical beekeeping? Science?

If you're in Dublin, you might join the Dublin BKA and use our library http://dublinbees.org/members-area/our-library/. Some other associations have libraries.

A Wave

Hi,
I know I'm not directly answering the question about plans, but I want to make a general suggestion about beekeeping books first.

There are many, many "beekeeping" books, but I suggest (apart from a few classics) that you don't waste time and money with them.

I would push for research-based books only. I expect that you mostly want facts backed up by science, rather than some celebrity's opinion and amazement in his/her journey taking up beekeeping.

So, please consider "The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism" by Tautz as a modern, fact/research-based book that is also suitable for the beginner.

In my "classics" section, I would have Killion "Honey in the Comb" and Taylor "The new comb honey book".

There is a specialist bookseller in Haye-on-Wye, C. Arden, from whom I have bought some pre-loved classics.
ardenbooks.co.uk

The "Study Notes" for the prelim. exam aren't too bad either, by JD & BD Yates, but need revision and correction in places.


Above all else, you must question all stated facts that are not substantiated.

An example is the "fact" that (with unclipped queen), a swarm cannot get away between correctly executed weekly inspections. This is oft-repeated and false.

As for plans, you need to understand the bee-space (Yates covers it) and decide on whether you are going for a top-bee-space or bottom-bee-space hive.

Once you have that, looking at a flat-packed super (€17 from some suppliers) and a super frame or two would make it all very clear to you.

Hope that helps,
A Wave.

stereomatic

My cousin was wanting a book with plans for DIY hives etc and I appreciate the responses and useful information, hopefully this thread could be kept open as a useful tool with regards books on bees and beekeeping now that there's a beekeeping forum

A Wave

Ok, I hope this helps your cousin then:

A common hive used here is the "National".

You can find online National plans here: beekeeping.org.uk/is_national_hive.pdf for example.
Or at scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/PracticalBeekeeping/TechnicalDataSheets.aspx (tech sheet 4.)

I have to say again, it's important to understand the bee space, and decide on whether you will have space at the top of each box, or at the bottom.

Is it a different type of hive than a national? Then google for "langstroth hive plans" or whatever type it is. Some other are also linked from the scottish page.
Probably no need for a book...

There are also drawings of various hive parts here: dave-cushman.net/bee/natdrawings.html (for the National).

Externally: The game is to make the external sides of your boxes etc. square and in agreement with the standard dimensions so that all the bits in your stack line up without any gaps. The point of the standard is that all the parts built to the standard are interchangeable.

So, this time of year, working from the top down, you might have a roof, a crown board, some supers, a queen excluder, a brood box and a floor. Each of these (apart from the roof) needs to be fairly close to 18 1/8 inch square. The roof needs to fit snugly over an 18 1/8 inch square.

Internally: You need to make the boxes take the appropriate number of frames, leaving appropriate beespace. If you are going for bottom beespace, the top bars of the frames should end up flush with the top surface of the box...

A point on lugs: National Frames have long lugs (see dave-cushman.net/bee/bsframedimensions.html), and boxes are typically made to accommodate these with a couple of finger joints and 4 lock bars (fillets) outside the inner walls.
Boxes for frames with shorter lugs can be more simply made in timber, with a rebate routed out to accommodate the short lugs.

Some Pros: Long Lugs are handy, Upper Lock bar (fillet) is handy for lifting heavy boxes.
Some Cons: Short Lugs mean a really simple, rapidly constructed box...

Finally, it doesn't have to be timber... more and more people are using polystyrene hives and making their own parts from corrugated plastic, for example.


/A Wave

Hillybilly4

Just came across a recommendation for this book on another site:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Praise-Bees-Cabinet-Curiosities/dp/1846891922
Not bought it meself yet but might put it on my Xmas wish list!

Joe Brennan

I found the Haynes bee keeping manual fantastic for the absolute beginner, The graphics are superb on every aspect of beekeeping.
With regards to making your own hives it involves a lot of detailed work,& at the end of the day it is just as cheap to buy them in flat pack form

SC Kevin

Building Beehives For Dummies

http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/

http://www.dave-cushman.net/

I have also read Ted Hoopers book when i first started beekeeping and ive recently bought another book for reading over winter called Collins Beekeeping Bible, these dont have any plans for hives but are still very good books

Native Honey Bee

The Scottish Beekeepers Association have links to hive plans, in their website. I use Smith hives, they have the same internal dimensions as the National hive, but are much easier to manufacture.