The Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping

Raising bees is becoming increasingly popular in backyards and on farms, large and small—and it’s easy to see why. These resourceful insects produce organic honey and beeswax, all while constantly providing natural aid to the health of your yard and garden. And even better, bees are easy to keep, especially with the expert instruction of the FFA-licensed The Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping.

Beginning with the basics, seasoned beekeepers Daniel and Samantha Johnson answer all of a prospective beekeeper’s questions on how to set up, care for, and harvest your very own bee colonies. With the help of this comprehensive DIY guide, raising bees can be an enjoyable and accessible backyard pastime for gardeners, crafters, and cooks everywhere.

Samantha Johnson (Phelps, Wisconsin) and her brother, Daniel, have collaborated on a number of rural-living guidebooks, including How to Raise Rabbits and Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping. Both are 4-H alumni and live on the family farm, Fox Hill Farm, in far northern Wisconsin. Samantha is a certified horse show judge and raises purebred Welsh Mountain ponies and Dutch, Holland Lop, and Netherland Dwarf rabbits.