Bernie and I had six hives of honey bees a few years ago. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may remember I set up a separate website for our bees. We loved our bees! And they blessed us with entertainment and honey.
We ended up losing the hives, and in hindsight, we probably should have waited to get them until we were permanently on the homestead. And we should have started on a much smaller scale. It was a hard lesson, and now that we’ve been here for three years, we’re ready to start again. I think we’re a little wiser, a little smarter, and a lot more prepared. We have two nukes on order now with a local source, and should have them in the next couple of months.
So I was tickled when Megan, from Sterling Publishing Company, contacted me asking if I’d be interested in reviewing Keeping Bees, by Ashley English.
Ashley has a wonderful blog that I highly recommend. And, as I’ve learned through her blog and her book, Ashley knows bees!
This book is chocked full of good information. Information I wish we had when we first started with honey bees. Keeping Bees is a “must have” resource for anyone just starting out, or considering becoming a beekeeper, and a wonderful reference book for more seasoned bee keepers. It provides everything from an in-dept description of bee anatomy, hive hierarchy, and things to consider before getting honey bees to the different types of hives, choosing the right type of honey bee, and installing a package of bees (a complete pictorial guide!). Ashley describes essential equipment, complete with pictures. I love her step by step pictorial of bee hive inspection and a “year of bees” guide for what should be accomplished in each season. She also details common diseases, parasites, and pests of bee hives and offers advice for avoiding these things. Along with recipes for homemade Sugar Fondant and Pollen Cakes for your hive.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, in Keeping Bees, Ashley also provides a pictorial guide on exactly how to gather the honey frames and extract the honey, along with delicious recipes for infused honey and all sorts of yummy foods.
I love this book! And I’m pleased to tell you that Megan and Ashley have graciously offered a give-away. The winner will not only receive a Keeping Bees book of your very own, but a jar of local honey!
To enter the give-away all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog and let me know you love honey bees! That’s it. Just do this before Wednesday, March 2nd, at midnight and you are entered. I will put each of your names on a slip of paper and have Bernie draw one of them on Thursday, March 3rd. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!
That’s the buzz. Oh, and please pop on over to Small Measure and see what Ashley’s sharing today 
The small print: This offer is only valid for U.S., APO, and FPO mailing addresses.
UPDATE 03/03/2011: We have a winner!!! Congratulations Dee for winning the random drawing for Keeping Bees!
Thanks to everyone who commented and signed up for this give-away.
Tags: Ashley English, Keeping Bees
Oh I am so sorry we cannot enter as we live in Canada but I am very very happy you did a review anjd posted about your bee website !
My dh so very much wishes to raise bees but we do not have our homestead yet . still dreaming
Oh! I would dearly love to have this book! We’re entering our second summer of the bee adventure, and boy do I have lots of questions. With no local bee association, I only have books and bogs to seek help from. I’m headed over to Ashley’s blog now. I can’t wait to hear about your new bees!
I would LOVE to win this book! I have been thinking about bees for a while now, but have no local resources and no idea how to start…
I know you are excited to be having bees again! I’m still considering a top bar hive, but wondering if I should just wait another year. Perhaps if I win this book and read up I’ll get over my trepidation.
I’m going to check out Ashley’s blog, too!
My father taught me what I know about beekeeping. I plan to get him Ashley’s book. He says he is always learning something from the bees. One can never have too many resources. Thank you for having such a great blog. I am encouraged by your posts as I plan my move back to the woods. Thank you!
Oh, this book sounds like the perfect book! And I’m going to checkout your bee blog, too! I have been wanting honey bees, and have decided we are going to get a hive this summer. But I know nothing about bees. My stepdad used to have 2 hives when I was very young and I loved the fresh honey when I was a kid. My husband is more cautious about getting bees, though – I’m trying to talk him into them! Maybe this book and your blog will help him to understand them! Thanks!
We love bees and hope to start our bee keeping endeavour this year too. Lord willing, we will get two hives up and going this spring. I think this would be a great book.
My bees are ordered and coming around the middle of April and I’ll be using the top bar hive to house them. Count me in on the give away drawing – the book would be great to have. My early Sunday morning ritual (it’s 4 am) is to read through the list of blogs I follow with a good cup of coffee-yours is the first on the list. I always enjoy your blog – it’s a wonderful read!
I love bees! I moved from AZ to VA this past summer, and now that I am out of African Honey Bee territory, am ready to start. I have 2 nucs on order that I should receive in April. My hives are built and painted, ready to go! Can’t wait. This book would be a perfect addition, not to mention the honey!
Sounds like a great book! I had an uncle who was a bee keeper and I’ve always been intrigued with the idea. I would love to have this book as a resource! One more thing I could learn to do when we move to The Ranch!
If I win, I think you have my email address…Penny.
My son is taking beekeeping for a 4-H project this year and my dad was also a beekeeper. I would love to win this book as another resource for us.
We’ve considered getting bees for several years. This book sounds like the best first step.
Sign me up! My husband and I have thought about getting bees for some time now, and I’ve been trying to use honey in as many things as possible, in place of sugar, to get ready for ‘em!! This book would be fantastic! Thanks!
Wow! Sounds like an awesome book! One thing is for sure you can never have too much information about bees! We learn something new from them every time we go into a hive!
I’m so excited for you and B! Are you going to start your blog back up?? Can’t wait to hear more about them and your adventures with them!!!
Thanks for such a wonderful site, and giveaway. All of her books seem so useful, and beautiful to boot! my email is the first name I gave, then (no space, all lowercase) stricker at gmail. Boy, I hope you need to have it, and that that makes sense!
My grown son is interested in keeping bees and this book sounds like a great place to start learning about that adventure! Thanks for sharing about your homestead and being an encouragement to others that would like to do the same.
I just LOVE bees. I’m getting my first bees this April and would love the book and honey.
I LOVE bees! We are planning on getting some bees soon and this book would be just what we need to get started. Hope we win!
I would love to get this book–very interested in beekeeping! Love your blog!!
I love honey bees! I am looking into getting an urban hive. Hope the neighbors don’t get stung. Love the blog, keep up the good work!
I love bees! I am getting a hive next year, could definably use this book!
l like your blog!
Just found out about your blog, looking for information on beekeeping. This book would come in handy because we’ll build a topbar beehive for the honey bees that live in our barn wall for now 2 years. They just keep coming back so i figured why not make them a more permanent resident of our property and have them pay rent! it’s especially nice that they set house right between our fruit trees and vegetable patch! Great blog by the way!
I WANT to love bees!! I want to learn about keeping bees !!
This sounds like a great book. Would love to win for my son who is moving back to the farm and wants to get involved with his Pa’s 9 colonies. As a kid he helped a little but now realizes it might be a lucrative sideline and Pa says he needs an apprentice! So many of the beekeepers are getting older and quitting so we need more interested people to love beekeeping as we have for 45 years! Dee
Penny, there has been a lot of buzz about bees lately! It seems everywhere I go there is a article, talk or blog on honey bees. They are getting me very curious and I found out too late that my local community college now has a 10 week bee keeping class. You can bet the next go around I am going to sign up for that! I do love honey bees and I believe they would make the perfect addition to our farm!
I hope your bees have a great season. This book sounds great and it would be a huge help while I am learning.
I just stumbled upon your blog today and I love it. This book would be wonderful for me. My husband keeps asking if keeping bees is easy or difficult. I know this will help us make the decision to have them or not.
This is going to be my next adventure after the chickens. We have a great program on Cape Cod throught the extension program that helps to train you, assists with the set-up and gets you connected to fellow keepers! I hope I have what it takes
I hope I win too! Thank you for writing such a wonderful blog!
Oh my!
I just found your blog via Granny Miller and wouldn’t you know it, my hubby and I were just talking about keeping bees!!
I would just love to win this wonderful give-away.
Yours so kindredly,
Shan
Honey Hill Farm
I have been thinking about honey bees for about a year now – but no real clue on how to get started. This might be just the book I need! Thank you for running this raffle – what an awesome idea!
I love reading your blog. It is so wonderful of you to share all of your homesteading trials and successes. Thank you!
–Kim Lane
I have been following your blog for about a year now and I just have to say you have inspired me in SO many ways. We finally purchased our dream house/property late last summer and I cannot wait to start on some spring projects! I’ve always wanted some bees but I have NO idea how/what/who/where, so I’m glad you have some input. I will definitely check out Ashley’s blog and hopefully get some bees of my own. Thank you so much for your blog and sharing the hardwork, heartbreak, and pure joy of basic living.
Yours Truly,
Seu Connell
Grizzly Acres
yay bees! I grew up with two neighbors who had hives, and we were never at a loss for fresh honey and honeycomb! I was taught from a young age how important bees are to people and farms. I’ve wanted my own hives for awhile, so a book like this would be an awesome start.
<3
Michelle
I am so fascinated with bees! Once we begin our farming/homesteading journey I would love to get a hive or two. Jen (my wife) isn’t as ambitious because she used to have a severe allergy to bee stings, however she got stung a couple years ago when when one got trapped inside her shirt! She reacted but nothing near the way she did as a child, apparently. I love honey and certainly that is part of my desire but quite honestly I’m more interested in having bees as beneficial pollinators for crops.
PS. I’m glad to see you start writing on your blog a little more! You have great story-telling qualities to your written word.
Ohhhhh, how I would love to have our own bees someday!! I started thinking about having our own bees a year ago. But I’m going to wait and go slow. We have our guineas (which incidentally started laying some eggs last week!) and we’ll be getting our first chickens in a few weeks. Perhaps we’ll start some bees next year. I would so love to win this beautiful book!!!
I have a special fondness for bee’s and always will. They evoke fond memories of my Dad…. Even in the throes of Alzheimer’s he enjoyed watching the bees.
I just stumbled across your blog and am enjoying it!! I would love to win this book. I loves me some honey and would love to have my own source of the good stuff!!
I would love to have a copy of this book! I have been considering getting bees for a while now, but we have decided against it until we own land. This book will be a great help!
I love bees! You are such an inspiration to me. You make things seem so easy. We recently moved to our land with just a few acres for now but an addition of bees would be something very interesting and fun to add.
I love the honey…don’t do bees. Scared if them. But I have a friend who is doing bees so he/she might like to have this book.
Great blog Penny. You are Loved.
:-}
Bees are so important to life as we know it!! My husband is an ecological landscape designer using native plants, and we also do a huge vegetable garden every year, so I am so thankful for the bees and the work they do for us as pollinators. And of course their honey is delicious! I love your blog!!
I am so excited that this opportunity has arisen just as we are planning on taking a backyard bee keeping class! I know this book would be a huge help as we take on this awesome project!!
I would love to start keeping bees! I’ve been reading your blog for about a year and have enjoyed it very much!
Congratulations to Dee for winning the random drawing for Keeping Bees!
Dee, please check your inbox for a message from me asking for your mailing address. Congratulations!