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Beekeeping A Practical Guide
By
Roger Patterson
For
non-beekeepers and beginners
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I
have written this book for those who are thinking of taking up
beekeeping or have just done so. It is packed with information
that will help get you started, or indicates where to find it.
One
major criticism of
some books is the amount of information that quickly dates them. I
have tried to avoid this by giving no reference to prices, contact
details, etc. Apart from introduced pests and diseases it should still
be relevant for many years to come. It
is not a reference book for obvious reasons, but there is enough
information to help you manage a colony of bees with a bit of help. It
is the ideal book
for existing beekeepers and BKAs to lend to potential beekeepers.
I
always encourage potential beekeepers to contact their local BKA and
handle full colonies of bees several times before buying bees or
equipment themselves. This might be a slightly slower approach, but if
your BKA is a good one they will help your early development as a
beekeeper and possibly help you avoid some of the mistakes beginners
often make. There are often disasters when people charge off and spend
money on things without having sound advice.
Throughout the book I suggest that beekeepers work together as it aids
learning and will allow someone to
keep an eye on your bees if you go
on holiday or have an illness.
I
have drawn heavily on my experience with my local BKA. They are a
wonderful group of people and respond well to the high level of tuition
we provide.
I
have
been beekeeping for nearly half a century and been teaching it for 40
years. As a result I know the questions people ask and what they need
to know at an early stage. I have a no-nonse approach and question some
of the advice that is often given. I do that whether I'm writing a book
or not, but it is done from many years of experience, not simply
repeating
what others have repeated as is so often done. I freely admit I have a
lot to learn, but so has everyone else. Bees have a habit of presenting
all of us with new problems all the time and I encourage beekeepers to
learn
the absolute basics in order to try and understand what is happening,
otherwise you don't know how to deal with the problem.
Roger
Patterson.
