This is a comprehensive book. Examples of what is covered include: - harvesting honey - positioning hives - making hives of various designs from scratch - splitting hives - keeping hives healthy, signs of ill-health - explanations of hive behaviour including fighting and how to prevent it - stingless bee evolution and biology - differences between Euro bees and stingless bees - detailed breakdown of the lifecycle of hive and the different castes of bee within the hive - differences between the different stingless bee varieties There are a couple of minor negatives - it focuses a little on T. Carbonaria, so you'd probably want an additional resource if intending to keep Hockingsii etc., and there is perhaps too much "background" information in sections that should really be "quick reference" instructions on how to perform a specific task or check for a specific problem - I'd have liked to see the background moved to sidebars. These are minor niggles though - this book could be less good and still earn 5 stars. The production is great, with glossy, detailed high-colour plates. This is important as native bees are very small, and the differences between specifics (e.g. the colour honey cells and pollen cells) are difficult for a beginner to pick at a glance. My only other complaint is that with such great production, no hardcover edition is available. I would recommend buying this book 1st, then shopping around for other resources (or online) to fill any gaps. I have had a hive for 6 months, and every question I've had (so far) has been answered here or with a quick Google search.Read full review
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Overall the product is good, however I found two holes at the base of the hive which when I split my original hive leaked out precious honey. I plugged the holes but there was no explanation why the holes were there to begin with. Very little instructions.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The very enthusiastic authors have packed this book full of great information, This easy to read.
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For the person starting out keeping native bees I think this book is a must. I am a novice and the way this book was written, accompanied with quality color photos, makes it very easy to follow and understand. Well worth the money asked.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Book was terrific very informative and interesting reading. Very prompt service. For my use it would have been better if I had realised that stingless bees are not found in Victoria.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Love the photos. Very informative. You can tell a lot of research went in to making the book. It's a going to be a good reference book for me.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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