Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1
- Life history of the honey bee
- Castes of the honey bee
- The Western honey bee and its subspecies
- Lifecycle of the honey bee
- Mating and drone congregation areas
- Life as a young adult bee
- Collecting nectar and pollen
- Communications and navigation
- Honey bees as superorganisms
- Superorganism decision making

Chapter 2
- Basic equipment and protective clothing
- Equipment
- Protective clothing

Chapter 3
- Constructing hives
- Constructing a hive
- Other parts of a hive

Chapter 4
- Frames and how to build them
- Frames
- Cleaning used frames
- Attaching foundation to the frame
- Using wax or plastic foundation
- Using plastic sides for frames

Chapter 5
- Your first bees
- Obtaining your first bees
- What kind of bees should I keep?
- Should I buy an established hive or catch a swarm?
- Swarms and swarm catching
- Transferring an established colony
- Moving hives
- General maintenance and inspections during the first year

Chapter 6
- Locating your bees
- Locating hives on your property
- Hive position in summer and winter
- Urban beekeeping
- Feeding bees water

Chapter 7
- Spring and summer management
- Inspections
- Inspecting hives during late spring and summer — what is involved?
- Managing the build-up of bees in your hive to maximise honey production
- Managing the honey flow
- Merging colonies
- Feeding syrup
- Sugar candy
- Feeding pollen or pollen substitute
- Swarms
- Splits
- Demaree method
- Providing hives for pollination
- Collecting pollen

Chapter 8
- Autumn and winter management
- Autumn
- The winter shutdown
- Winter

Chapter 9 Extracting
- Using a sieve to harvest honey
- Use of an extractor to harvest honey
- Choosing an extractor
- Type of extractor to buy
- Comb honey
- Reuse of wax foundation
- Colour of wax

Chapter 10 Preparing honey for sale and for competitions
- Preparing honey for sale
- Preparing honey for competitions

Chapter 11 Rearing queens
- Introduction
- The three reasons for a colony to produce a new queen
- Hive splitting
- Queen candy

Chapter 12 Sustainable beekeeping
- Natural beekeeping hives

Chapter 13 The bee-friendly garden
- Bee-friendly flowering plants
- Further considerations of the bee-friendly garden
- A garden is a work in progress

Chapter 14 Native bees
- Social bees
- Solitary bees

Chapter 15 Diseases of the honey bee
- Diseases of brood
- Good management practices to minimise disease in the colony
- American Foul Brood (AFB)
- European Foul Brood (EFB)
- Sacbrood virus (SBV)
- Chalkbrood
- Adult bee diseases
- Nosema
- Deformed wing virus (DWV)
Chapter 16 Parasites of the honey bee
- Varroa
- Tropilaelaps mites — the Asian mite
Chapter 17 Pests of the honey bee
- Wax Moth
- Small Hive Beetle (SHB)
- Braula fly

Chapter 18 Other problems of the honey bee
- Pesticide and fungicide poisoning
- Chilled brood
- Overheating of the hive
- Damp hives
- Cane toads
- Ants
- Mice
- Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

Chapter 19 Other types of bees and wasps
- The Asian honey bee (Apis cerana)
- Bumblebees
- Wasps
- Asian hornets
- Other races of Apis mellifera
- Other species of Asian bees

Appendix: Size of frames and boxes
Glossary
Acknowledgements and photographic credits
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Robert Owen was introduced to the world of beekeeping in 2002 and hasn’t looked back. At first beekeeping was a hobby but it has now evolved into a family business, Bob’s Beekeeping Supplies, that offers beekeeping equipment and education. This book is the culmination of his own years of expertise and experience and also draws on the individual tales he has heard of the challenges and successes of managing honey bees in various environments.

Reviews

"a standout reference for the new beekeeper...Even experienced beekeepers will learn a thing or two...contain(s) a wealth of information and is better value than many bee books currently on the market"
*The Amateur Beekeeper*

“A well-illustrated hardback with more than 350 photos. A good mix of the entertaining and the technical, it includes excellent tips on creating bee-friendly gardens.”
*Better Homes and Gardens*

“A valuable reference for anyone wanting to raise and nurture bees. Everything is covered.”
*Organic Gardening*

“THE Australian Beekeeping Manual with its colour photographs and illustrations would not look out of place on the coffee table. Yet, it is unlikely to make it there, let alone to a bookshelf. It will, more than likely, live in a glovebox or backpack so it can be consulted outdoors or in the workshop as a ready reference for beekeepers.”
*The Weekly Times*

“This timely book has more than 350 detailed instructional photos and illustrations…this is a manual with everything you need to know.”
*Your Garden*

“With years of experience and expertise…Robert Owen shares his knowledge on how to get started, bee-friendly gardens and so much more.”
*Home Ideas Magazine*

“…a comprehensive manual that includes material not available in other Australian, North American or European books.”
*American Bee Journal*

“This manual can help apiarists avoid the pitfalls and understand the process, and is perfect for the novice through to the lifelong beekeeper.”
*Sanctuary Magazine*

“Robert Owen, author of the recently released book The Australian Beekeeping Manual – written specifically for Australian beekeepers – shares tips on how to create a bee-friendly garden, whether you’re a beekeeper, or just want to encourage bees to visit your garden.”
*Seven Canaries*

“With bees’ dwindling numbers a hot topic, Bob says locals can assist honey and native bees by planting a wide range of flowering plants.”
*The Weekly Review*

“…an excellent, but above all extremely comprehensive reference book, that is at the same time…eminently readable.”
*Australasian Beekeeper*

“If you’d like to have a go at housing bees for honey, Robert Owens’ just published Australian Beekeeping Manual is a good place to start.”
*Sydney Morning Herald*