Beekeeping With Zest

Bee Keeping with ZEST by Bill Summers This is a book like no other on the subject of honey bees. It addresses the author s belief and that of his colleague (Dave Durrant) that the welfare of honey bees in a traditional hive fails to provide for their needs as biological systems. This realisation led to the design of the ZEST hive which does do so. It deploys a longitudinal external envelope, with top bee entry and trickle ventilation, made from lightweight insulated building blocks and plastic lattice frames within which the bees draw out their wild honeycomb. The former is DIY from builders merchants and the latter available in boxes of 12. The external envelope is not just a lightweight insulated one, but is sufficiently heavy to provide the bees with a thermal lag of an envelope that is easily thermo-regulated to 35deg, the fundamental requirement of their brood. From the honey bee perspective the ZEST hive overcomes all the problems of other hive designs and frame types. An unintended consequence of the ZEST hive design has been to eliminate varroa. The ZEST is functionally free of it. This is witnessed by the hive debris. The cause seems to be the smaller natural cell size and natural warmth of the hive envelope, both of which speed the biological process of honey bee pupation. The time available for the varroa to mature in the pupating cells is reduced. Their numbers fall to zero rather than rises exponentially. This book and its thesis will prove to be seminal in the drive to solve the problems of honey bee health in all its aspects and manifestations. There has been a recent doubling of beekeepers in the country caused by the ecologically minded seeking to assist honey bees in a better environment. This can be applauded. This book is to assist them and their bees. The ZEST hive is democratic. Anyone can have one. It is cheap, appropriate and amenable to a more self-sufficient way of life. It is a living sustainable system, not a product. It can be entirely D.I.Y. No one owns it. It can be free. Take it. Use it. Have fun. The ZEST hive does a great deal more with a great deal less.

Beekeepers require a user friendly hive that helps the bees keep warm in Winter, stops them over heating in the Summer and reduces the risk of varroa and bee related diseases. It must be economical to buy, easy to construct, have minimal maintenance and storage issues, be a hive that is sustainable, that gives the bees space to grow colonies quickly and to have ample frame area for honey storage. I have looked at every possible beehive on the market at the moment (Oct 2014) and there is only one model that delivers these attributes. Bees need a ZEST for life. Tim Eggins

DIVStore your notes, journal entries, and daily beekeeping records, observations, and to-do lists within the pages of this beautiful and inspirational journal./divDIV /divDIVThe Beekeeper’s Journal is the perfect tool for beekeepers and beekeeping enthusiasts to keep their thoughts, recipes, inspirations, sketches, to-do lists and more. Photographs and illustrations on each spread complement the helpful tips, anecdotes, ideas, recipes, how-to and images from beekeeping expert, Kim Flottum. This book is not only a useful tool, but the perfect keepsake for avid beekeepers and those who aspire to keep bees./div

Beekeeping is nothing new—the ancient Egyptians were well versed in the benefits of living with bees—but in recent years, there has been a surge of folks struck with the desire to build and nurture a hive of their own. Beekeeping has become the passion of farmers in rural Vermont, urbanites with rooftops in LA, and thousands of people in between. This book is for beginners and experts alike, with all the basic information you need to get started, as well as stories and tips that will inspire and instruct the most seasoned beekeeper. In this guide, you will learn how to: Choose a spot for your hive Build a hive with simple tools and materials Buy bees or attract them to your hive Harvest the fruits of the bees’ labor Make beeswax candles and lip balm Utilize honey, wax, and propolis for medicinal purposes And much more! Cummings offers readers something truly unique—a book that comes alongside you like a wise friend, offering sage advice as well as humorous anecdotes and fascinating interviews with beekeepers across the country. Equally good for reading while curled up inside during the long winter as for carrying with you to the hives mid-summer, this will be a welcome addition to any bee enthusiast’s library.

If you've been toying with the idea of keeping bees but don't know where to start, where to get the bees from, how to set it up, how to set up your beehives for optimal honey production, how to maintain the health of your colony and much more, keep reading… You Are about to Discover How to Start Keeping Bees for Honey or Wax, From Scratch, Even If You've Never Done Anything Like It Before! Bees are probably the most important insects in the world, not just for their honey and wax but because they play an important part in pollination, which means without them, we would probably not have the juicy fruits we munch on. It is no wonder that commercial bee keeping is said to add $15-$20 billion in economic value every single year! This probably explains why raising bees is quickly becoming more and more popular by the day- and it's not just because it is an interesting hobby, but also because it is one of the best ways to save, make money, boost your plant garden and still get the cleanest and safest bee products (honey and wax) straight to your table. And hey, that's not the best part. These insects are some of the most independent animals on the planet. In fact, they prefer to be left alone. It is more or less a set, provide optimal conditions for them to thrive by keeping off pesticides, and forget – the bees will fend for themselves and won't require any other input from you! And they will reward you handsomely for that with tons of honey, wax and pollinated plants! Yeah, well… all that sounds appetizing, but how would I get started? I've never done this before… You wonder? Good concern. You've probably also asked yourself this: How do I acquire the bees? How do I set up a colony? What do bees eat; how do I feed them? Is honey a profitable product? How do I avoid stings; can I harvest honey and wax without having to tolerate one or two stings? If you've been having such questions and concerns, then you need this beginners' guide to beekeeping. This book will take you through everything you need to know about this easy practice right from selecting the bee itself, setting up your colony, feeding them, avoiding common problems and selling honey- just to mention the least. More precisely, this book will teach you: The history and evolution of beekeeping, and what research says about the practice The different types of beekeeping The benefits and risks of beekeeping How to select the right type of bee and set up the bee colony The types of hives and how to choose the right one for you How to buy, transport and feed new bees What you need to look at as you inspect your beehive What you need to know about bee stings How to avert and solve common problems What you need to know about honey prices and market demand What you need to know about the colonies' activities in different seasons How to harvest honey and beeswax …And much more! So if you've been desiring to establish your own beautiful hives but have been a bit apprehensive about starting because you couldn't figure out how to do so without risking your money, time and life, then I believe you now have a better reason to get started today! Even if you are scared and confused, this book will alleviate your fears and give you the much needed confidence to get started and succeed at it!

An Illustrated Glossary of Honey Bee and Beekeeping Terminology by Sue Remenyi is an invaluable reference book for all beekeepers. As with any activity there is always a significant amount of terminology and jargon to get to grips with and this glossary brings together the terminology a beekeeper needs. In addition, more advanced aspects of beekeeping such as the anatomy and biology of the honey bee as well as pests, diseases and treatments, the development and behaviour of honey bees, honey and honey production are addressed. With more than 800 definitions and 200+ illustrations, this pocket-sized book is a useful reference for all beekeepers. Anyone studying for the British Beekeepers Association's module exams will find this book invaluable. Drawings and photographs have been used wherever possible to illustrate the descriptions.