This easy-to-follow visual guide to the first year of beekeeping includes photographed step-by-step instructions and in-depth discussions of everything a first-time beekeeper needs to know—from understanding bee behavior to harvesting honey.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, and informative, this one-of-a-kind guide answers all the questions beginners have when they’re first getting started, including:

• How many hives?
• When should I install my bees?
• Where should I put my hives?

An in-depth overview of the first month guides readers through essential daily and weekly tasks, such as:

• Hiving the Bees
• Using a smoker
• Checking for vital signs
• Replacing the queen

Through nine chapters, readers will learn all the basics and go through the seasons to the honey harvest, discovering how honey flows, how to keep bees cool in hot weather, what to do about mites, and how to protect the hives from the wind during cold winters along the way. An in-depth overview of harvesting tools and equipment (and how to use it all) ensures you’ll have jars of homemade honey lining your pantry!