Honey has been an important food for people for thousands of years. Their desire for it led to the, domestication of bees, through crafting artificial beehives and manipulating the bees' food sources. But quite apart from the harvests of honey and wax, the life-giving role of bees in pollinating many plants that people rely on for food, has made them the stuff of legend, mystery, worship and, nowadays, also controversy. Although some people believe that our reliance on bees for the cultivation of food crops is much exaggerated (as some major staples like rice, wheat and even potatoes don't nee... View More...
UPDATED REPRINT 2016 Did you know that to collect a kilo of honey, bees need to visit one million plants? In going about their daily lives, bees provide plants with pollination necessary for reproduction and biodiversity, and they provide food for many species from ants to insects to birds. They are also an integral part of the self-sufficiency approach to sustainable production. The authors look after over 100 honey and native bee hives. They have run bee workshops in schools and colleges, mead-making workshops for grown ups and started successful bee clubs. This book contains the an... View More...
Transform miraculous beeswax into environmentally friendly household cleaners, personal care products, candles and crafts Features over 100 step-by-step recipes, this book presents easy-to-follow recipes that utilize the amazing flexibility of beeswax for crafting safe, highly effective home products. From lotions and salves to candles and cleaners, The Beeswax Workshop shows you how to make organic alternatives to chemically-laden store bought items. You will love stocking first aid kits with natural sunburn salve and antimicrobial ointment; making beeswax-based beauty products like lip balm,... View More...
Everything you need to know to keep bees on your rooftop, balcony or in your backyard. Just about anyone can keep bees. All you need is a bit of space in your backyard (or on your rooftop) and a little love for the creatures that pollinate the vegie patches of your neighbourhood. Once introduced to the charms of beekeeping and the taste of warm honeycomb direct from the hive, you'll be hooked. Backyard Bees is the ultimate guide to installing and maintaining a hive through the seasons. Learn how easy it is to keep happy, healthy bees, and how and when to harvest the liquid gold. Includin... View More...
A grower's handbook to attracting bees and other beneficial insects. Bees are our most important pollinators and they are in decline the world over. They love to live in urban environments, where it's a short flight path from one type of plant to the next. But conventional gardens that favour lawns and pesticides over flowers and edible plants are scaring the good bugs away. The Bee Friendly Garden is a guide for all gardeners great and small to encouraging bees and other good bugs to your green space. Includes: - How bees forage and why your garden needs them - A comprehensive plant ... View More...
An illustrated introduction to the estimated 2000 species of Australian bees.
Bees are often thought of as yellow and black striped insects that live in hives and produce honey. However, Australia’s abundant native bees are incredibly diverse in their appearance and habits. Some are yellow and black but others have blue stripes, are iridescent green or wasp-like. Some are social but most are solitary. Some do build nests with wax but others use silk or plant material, burrow in soil or use holes in wood and even gumnuts!
A Guide to Native Bees of Australia provides a detailed introduction ... View More...
Discover the beauty and diversity of Australia's native bees. Bees are the darlings of the insect world. It is a great joy to see these tenacious insects hard at work, peacefully buzzing from flower to flower on warm and sunny days. Many people recognise the worth of bees, as well as that they face many threats. But very few know about the diversity and importance of our native bee species. There are an estimated 2000 to 3000 bee species in Australia, yet we know very little about the vast majority of these and there are many that are yet to be described. Bees of Australia introduces some of... View More...
Australian Stingless Bees: a guide to Sugarbag beekeeping by John Klumpp is a 120 page book packed with over 200 photos and illustrations. It is easy to read, whimsical, engaging, sometimes amusing, and is crammed with useful information. The topics covered are: catching the bug - John's personal perspective; the different species of native social stingless bees; differences in lifestyle between honey bees and native social stingless bees (particularly Tetragonula carbonaria formerly Trigona carbonaria; life and lifecycle in a colony; castes; locating colonies in bushland; some different ... View More...
Enjoy the sweet rewards of keeping your own honey bees. Learn how to plan a hive, acquire bees, install a colony, keep your bees healthy, and harvest honey. Full of practical advice on apiary equipment and tools, this comprehensive guide also includes an overview of colony life and honey bee anatomy. Whether you're just getting started or are managing dozens of hives, Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees will help you successfully manage a thriving beekeeping operation. 244 pages. View More...
"If 70 percent of all cattle or 30 percent of all chickens were to die annually, states of emergency would be declared everywhere. The death of bees is at least that dramatic and with even more far-reaching consequences." More Than Honey, the book based on the award-winning documentary of the same name, takes us on a global tour of the world of bees, introducing us along the way to "killer bees," Frankenbees, beekeepers, and human pollinators. Markus Imhoof and Claus-Peter Lieckfeld examine both the history and current status of our relationship to and reliance on bees, and expose the human be... View More...
All the buzz on keeping backyard bees - an informative and inspirational handbook full of advice, experience and stories from experts and enthusiasts. With bees worldwide in deadly peril, Australians are keen to lend a helping hand. Keeping a hive or three has become a popular lifestyle trend - and it's more achievable than you might think.Whether you're in the inner city, suburbs or on acreage, keeping bees can be easy, low-fuss and fun for the whole family to get involved in - imagine bottling your very own honey! This lively guide features inspirational experiences and gorgeous photos from ... View More...
The book is aimed at both the novice and experienced beekeeper in Australia and explains in detail the steps required to manage colonies of bees. Supported by over 350 photographs and drawings, each action to be performed is explained in detail with photographs showing the steps as well as the final result. Many potential beekeepers are unclear about the equipment they need to buy and how to obtain their first colony of bees. The first chapters in the book explain in detail the equipment needed as well as equipment that may be useful later on as their confidence and experience grows. The chapt... View More...
Winner of Australian Book Industry Association (ABIA) 2017 award for Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year. The Australian Native Bee Book by Tim Heard. This complete guide to native stingless bees is written by Australia's foremost expert. Keeping native stingless bees is a hot topic in Australia for commercial, environmental and recreational reasons. This comprehensive guide covers bee biology, behaviour, nesting, social life and foraging; how to build a native bee hive; how to transfer a bee colony to a hive box and propagate hives; all about sugarbag honey, including how to extract it... View More...
