Hello from Connecticut

[Primrose]

Hello,
I live in Northwestern Connecticut and am just getting interested in bees.  I know very little and was wondering if anyone has a favorite beekeeping book to reccomend to get me started.  Thanks, Jen

[Brian D. Bray]

Beekeeping for Idoits is probably one of the better ones for beginners.  Visit your local library and save some cash incase you change your mind (which I highly doubt you will).

[TaoAndThen]

For beginners I recommend three books:

Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blackiston is easy to follow. The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum leaves many unanswered questions but has ideas on 8-frame hives. Beekeeping: A Complete Owner's Manual by Werner Melzer has more information than I expected from a $7 book. I really like his seasonal guide.

Once my bees arrived, At the Hive Entrance by H. Storch was very helpful in explaining the behavior I observed outside the hive.

For more detail, my favorite is The Beekeepers Handbook by Diana Sammataro.

As encyclopedic reference books, The Hive & the Honey Bee published by Dadant and The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture by A.I. Root seem to cover the same territory with the former in a chapter format and the latter in encyclopedia format.

[Primrose]

Thanks for your recommendations, I'm looking forward to reading about this facinating subject.  Jen

[buzzbeejr]

hey primrose .
try the ventrilo chat software sometime for free.

[treeshade]

Hello, I am also from Connecticut, also somewhat new to beekeeping.
I read the " beekeeping for dummies"  this book is good, it is written by a guy from connecticut.

[Robo]

Another good easy reading book is Keeping Bees by John Vivian.

[Michael Bush]

Here's my advice:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm

I like ABC XYZ of Bee Culture and The Hive and the Honey Bee a lot.  Kim Flottum's book seems pretty good.  Most of the advice on equipment in most of the books I find pretty bad.  Unless you can easily lift 90 pound boxes all day long, I'd go with lighter equipment.

[Kirk-o]

Go to the library start with Beekeeping for dummies then ABC XYZ of beekeeping
you will like the reading
kirko