This indispensable beekeeping reference—packed with helpful diagrams, color photos, and easy-to-follow yet thorough instruction—gently guides you through setting up and caring for your first colonies.

Are you an absolute beginner when it comes to keeping bees? With First Time Beekeeping, help is at hand. Featuring the sage advice of Bee Culture editor emeritus and best-selling author of The Backyard Beekeeper Kim Flottum, this is your step-by-step guide to healthy, happy, and productive hives.

This complete resource features expert beginner advice for:

• Setting up and caring for your own colonies


• Selecting the best location to place your new bee colonies for their safety and yours


• The most practical and nontoxic ways to care for your bees


• Harvesting the products of a beehive and collecting and using honey


• Bee problems and treatments

By following this advice, your colony or two of honey bees can pollinate the vegetables in your garden; produce wonderful honey and other beneficial products; and help your local ecosystem thrive. What could be sweeter?

Each book in the First Time series distills how-to guidance and advice from an expert on a specific topic into targeted step-by-step instruction geared toward the absolute beginner.