Overview

The various chemicals used in beekeeping have, for the past decades, held Varroa Destructor, a mite, and other major pests at bay, but chemical resistance is building and evolution threatens to overtake the best that laboratory chemists have to offer. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making the problem worse. Ross Conrad flips the script on traditional approaches by proposing a program of selective breeding and natural hive management.This filmed workshop follows Ross Conrad through the dos and don'ts of natural beekeeping, and offers practical information--including details on apitherapy, the use of bee products in medicinal healing--every aspiring beekeeper needs to know. Including in-the-field footage of the author and his hives, and extensive information on: Beekeeping Equipment Tools and Clothing Bee Space The Basics of Honey Bee Biology Varroa Mites - Biology, Identification and Monitoring Varroa Mite Control Other Pests and Predators of the Honey Bee Common Hive Diseases Feeding Bees Honey Harvesting Ross Conrad is the author of Natural Beekeeping (Chelsea Green, 2007), where he brought together the best organic and natural approaches to keeping honeybees healthy and productive. In the book, Conrad offers crucial nontoxic methods of controlling mites, eliminating American foulbrood disease (without the use of antibiotics), breeding strategies, and many other tips and techniques for maintaining healthy hives, as well as specific concepts and detailed management techniques covered in a matter-of-fact, easy-to-implement way. The book describes opportunities for the seasoned professional to modify existing operations, increase profits, and eliminate the use of chemical treatments.

Full Product Details

9781603583275

Table of Contents

Reviews

Ross Conrad . . . makes organic apiculture seem not only possible, but necessary. --Gary Paul Nabhan, co-author, The Forgotten Pollinators

Library Journal- Natural Beekeeping is about beekeeping via multistory Langstroth beehives with removable frames, the kind seen in corners of fields along our rural highways. Vermont beekeeper Conrad offers viewers a comprehensive treatment of bees and natural methods of beekeeping in classroom lectures augmented with field videos. This guy knows his bees! Conrad presents strategies for combatting colony collapse disorder (CCD), varroa mites, and other bee pests including mice, skunks, and bears. He also demonstrates hive management and overwintering strategies for the ten-frame Langstroth bee box that will convince some viewers to invest in similar hives for their beekeeping efforts. VERDICT These two outstanding videos for those interested in exploring beekeeping were inspired by same-titled print works by the beekeepers and are highly recommended for general audiences. (reviewed with Top-Bar Beekeeping)

<p> Ross Conrad . . . makes organic apiculture seem not only possible, but necessary. --Gary Paul Nabhan, co-author, The Forgotten Pollinators

Ross Conrad . . . makes organic apiculture seem not only possible, but necessary. --Gary Paul Nabhan, co-author, The Forgotten Pollinators Midwest Book Review- Natural Beekeeping with Ross Conrad (3 hours 13 min.) is an instructional DVD in which Vermont beekeeper Ross Conrad teaches the viewer about organic and natural means to keep honeybees healthy and free from parasitic mites. Today, the chemicals often used to protect beehives are starting to breed resistance in pests, with the potential to cause increasing harm in the future. Natural Beekeeping offers invaluable alternatives, as well as fundamentals that every beekeeper must learn, such as how hive equipment works, and the basic process of harvesting and processing honey. Natural Beekeeping is a must-have for aspiring beekeepers, or anyone simply curious to learn more about the process! Library Journal- Natural Beekeeping is about beekeeping via multistory Langstroth beehives with removable frames, the kind seen in corners of fields along our rural highways. Vermont beekeeper Conrad offers viewers a comprehensive treatment of bees and natural methods of beekeeping in classroom lectures augmented with field videos. This guy knows his bees! Conrad presents strategies for combatting colony collapse disorder (CCD), varroa mites, and other bee pests including mice, skunks, and bears. He also demonstrates hive management and overwintering strategies for the ten-frame Langstroth bee box that will convince some viewers to invest in similar hives for their beekeeping efforts. VERDICT These two outstanding videos for those interested in exploring beekeeping were inspired by same-titled print works by the beekeepers and are highly recommended for general audiences. (reviewed with Top-Bar Beekeeping)

Author Information

Ross Conrad learned his craft from the late Charles Mraz, world-renowned beekeeper and founder of Champlain Valley Apiaries in Vermont. Former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, Conrad is a regular contributor to Bee Culture—The Magazine of American Beekeeping. He has led bee-related presentations and taught organic beekeeping workshops and classes throughout North America for many years. His small beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies friends, neighbors, and local stores with honey and candles, among other bee related products, and provides bees for Vermont apple-pollination in spring.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available