Now updated -- your guide to becoming a successful backyard beekeeper Interested in raising honey bees? This friendly practical guide presents a step-by-step approach to starting your own beehive along with expert tips for maintaining a healthy colony. You get the latest on honey bee medication & treatments harvesting & marketing your honey & the impact the sudden disappearance of the honey bee has on our environment & economy. To bee or not to bee? -- understand the benefits of beekeeping & whether its right for you Build your first hive -- gather the right equipment obtain your bees & transfer them safely to their new home Get up-close & personal -- see how to open & close the hive inspect your bees at the right times & know what to look for Handle common problems -- from swarming to robbing to pesticide poisoning find simple solutions Understand Colony Collapse Syndrome -- learn what you can do to help save the honey bees Gear up for the golden harvest -- use the tools of the trade to extract honey store it & sell it Praise for Beekeeping For Dummies The information a beginner needs to keep bees with complete confidence." -- Kim Flottum Bee Culture Magazine "A reader-friendly guide to beekeeping for novices or beginners." -- Dewey M. Caron Professor of Entomology University of Delaware Open the book & find: The various types of honey bees & the role each plays in a colony Hands-on instruction in building a hive How to keep bees healthier & more productive Guidelines for all phases of honey production New information on raising your own queens Plenty of helpful illustrative pictures to guide you The safest ways to inspect & enjoy your bees A Beekeepers Calendar organized by climate zones"