Books and Publications for Beekeepers
For new and experienced beekeepers, books and other media are valuable sources of information.
Our knowledge about bees and beekeeping is the result of an ongoing learning process.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to invite a bee colony for a discussion to find out more about their secrets, how they are doing, why they are doing what they do, their way of life, point of view, what bothers them and what makes them happy?
We can only observe, research, conclude and speculate.
Whatever is written about bees and beekeeping is based on what we humans think - None of it has ever been audited or approved by bees.
The more information we gather, the more books we read, the more new information we publish, the more likely is what we understand about bees and beekeeping is also correct from the bees' perspective.
Some of the best things in live are for free!
Numerous Books & Publications are available online and can be read or downloaded for free. Even when some books are over 100 years old the validity of most of their content would still be current, so don't dismiss them as totally outdated.
Free Books & Publications available online
Honey Flora of Victoria (Australia)
A comprehensive guide to the Victorian (Australia) Flower Sources for our honeybees - by Frederick Richard Beuhne, published 1922.
Read this ebook online or free download (154 pages pdf)Flowering Ecology of Honey-Producing Flora in South-East Australia
RIRDC Publication No. 08/098 - July 2008Beekeepers use of honey and flora resource in Victoria
web link or free download (90 pages pdf)
A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation RIRDC by Russell Goodman, Institute for Horticultural Development
Agriculture Victoria, Knoxfield - RIRDC Publication No 01/050 - May 2001
web link with free download option (113 pages pdf)
Australian Beekeeping Guide
This book provides basic information to assist beginner and sideline beekeepers. It draws on the knowledge and experience of apiculture scientists, various state and territory apiary inspectors and apiary officers, and most importantly, the many beekeepers who enjoy keeping bees. Published 13-Feb-2015 by the RIRDC, Authors: Russell Goodman, Peter Kaczynski
web link with free download option (144 pages pdf)
Biosecurity Code of Practice for the Australian Honey Bee Industry
Publications by the AgriFutures
Regarding Honeybees and Beekeeping, over 100 publications are available on the AgriFutures website. When on the Publications page, select "Honeybee" as category to have them listed.
Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg
1. A Beekeepers Manual has been written by Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth in 1873, titled The Hive and the Honey-Bee and is available online.
2. Also available online is Apis Mellifica or The Poison of the Honey-Bee, considered as a Therapeutic - by C. W. Wolf written in 1866.
Search for other Free eBooks by Project Gutenberg. Tap into an online library of over 46,000 free ebooks: choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online.
A manual: or An easy method of managing bees,
in the most profitable manner to their owner, with infallible rules to prevent their destruction by the moth. By John M. Weeks, published 1837
Internet Archive - American Libraries or free download (78 pages pdf)
Biodiversity Heritage Library - containing over 800 Book/Journal Titles under the subject "Bees"
Search the Biodiversity Heritage Library under the subject "Bees"
Example 1: How to Keep Bees - A Handbook for the Use of Beginners, By Anna Botsford Comstock, B. S., written in 1905. This book has been prepared especially to meet the needs of the beginner in beekeeping. (284 pages)
Example 2: The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture - by by A.I. Root, published 1920. (856 pages)
Beekeeping Books from amazon.com
Searching on amazon.com for "beekeeping books" comes up with thousands of results - try it now
Other sources of Beekeeping Books
Northern Bee Books - www.northernbeebooks.co.uk
The largest stock of apicultural books in the English speaking world, based in the UK. Ship to Australia.