Recent Publications

Beekeeping and Sustainable Livelihoods

This booklet is intended to raise awareness and promote beekeeping, among people and organisations involved in supporting small-scale farming as a successful diversification enterprise that small-scale farmers in rural, urban…

Splits and Varroa

Bill Hesbach is a beekeeper and honey producer in Cheshire, Ct, where he owns and operates Wind Dance Apiary. Bill studied beekeeping at Rutgers University in NJ and is currently…

Honeybee Nests: Composition, Structure, Function

This work, a sequel to Honeybees and Wax published nearly 30 years ago, starts with a brief introduction and discussion of nesting sites, their spaces and densities, self-organisation of nest…

Honeybees and Wax

"Instead of dirt and poison we have rather chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax; thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest of things, which are sweetness and…

The Australian Native Bee Book

A good introduction to the native bees of Australia.

The Bee-friendly Beekeeper

In recent years, beekeepers on several continents have been suffering heavy losses of colonies. If we, systematically investigate factors causing the losses, we can justifiably ask whether the way in…

Natural Beekeeping with the Warré Hive

This inspiring, practical, clearly laid out book contains everything you need in order to build and run a Warré hive, Topics include tools, siting, obtaining and hiving bees, monitoring, feeding,…

The Enigma That Was Thomas William Cowan

Thomas William Cowan was head of the beekeeping establishment in Britain for the first fifty years of its existence, and had a substantial influence on the manner in which honey…

The Earliest Record of Beekeeping in Northern England

This is a story of a journey that includes joy, disappointment, experimentation, discovery, destruction, devastation, and satisfaction, played out to a backdrop of religious differences and intolerances, political upheaval, plague,…

Taylorʼs of Welwyn

Thomas Bates Blow was from a working class background and leading a life with little direction until he was befriended by a member of a leading British family: with his…

Honey, Natures Golden Healer

There is growing evidence to show that honey is hugely beneficial to our health, from its antibacterial properties to helping hay fever sufferers. With increasing numbers of people interested in…

Sweetness and Light. The Mysterious History of the Honeybee

Sweetness and Light is the fascinating story of bees and honey from the Stone Age to modern times. It is an entertaining and interesting read for all beekeepers.

British Bee Books, A Bibliography 1500-1976

An Holistic Way in Saving the Honeybee

This recent title suggests reasons why there has been a recent dramatic reduction in honey bees throughout the world. John Harding presents a very convincing argument in which he thinks…

Some Alternative Pathways for the Hesitant Queen Rearer

There are many fine books on Queen Rearing which assume a high degree of skill. This is not one of them. Ben Harden a leading Irish beekeepers, and as far…

Recollections of Garelochhead 100 Years Ago

William Hamilton was the author of the classic Scottish bee book - The Art of Beekeeping. This gripping account of life in Garelochhead a century ago will be of interest…

The Life and Death of Beatrice The Bee

There are many fine books on Queen rearing which assume quite a degree of skill, Ben introduces ways of overcoming aspects of the processes that some find daunting. It covers,…

Keeping Bees

Pam Gregory, a former Regional Bee Inspector for Wales and Claire Waring, Editor of Bee Craft have joined together to write this Green Guide. These experts, as you would expect…

Healthy Bees are Happy Bees

Healthy Bees are Happy Bees is a comprehensive guide to bee health and sickness. The book details beekeeping problems, pests, parasites and diseases in depth and offers practical guidance rooted…

The Hive and the Honey Bee

The Hive and The Honey Bee. NEW EDITION 29 Chapters, 44 Authors 1057 pages (larger page format - 7 x 10 inches) colour pictures. An amazing source of information on…