Reddit reviews Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture, 2nd Edition

I don't think there's a consensus on the "best" book. I'm reading The Beekeeper's Handbook at the moment, and it's very good.

Natural Beekeeping is also quite good, if you want to try a more natural approach.

Hey there!

I live in Ontario, so I'm a little North of you. I'm a hobbyist beekeeper with five hives. I help my mentor out (who has ten hives) too. We make some honey, but we do it more for the hobby.

> Is it possible to let the bees survive the winter on their own supply?

Absolutely. This is how my bees do it. I don't feed sugar or anything like that to them. They live off entirely their own supply. I take a little bit from them throughout the summer, but stop after Labour Day. In fact I've read that feeding sugar is detrimental to the hive's health.

> Which hive box is the best option to use for a beginner?

I suppose this depends on what is available in your area. I recommend the style of hive other keepers use in your area. I've only had experienced with pine wood boxes ranging in thickness from 7/8 to 1 & 1/8. My mentor is trying those foam hive boxes this winter. I can't report on how they perform just yet.

> Is early March or early April a good time to get started on placing my queen inside the hive?

You usually don't buy a queen to get started. You purchase a nuc or a package of bees. I started by buying a couple nucs. My mentor gave me a couple splits too. See what is available in your area. The local keepers won't sell you a nuc if they're not ready / it's too early.

> Really any points or tips would be greatly appreciated as I'm excited to get started.

I strongly recommend reading a few books on the topic. I've read a few over the summer/fall/winter prior to me getting my first hives and they really pumped me up for the hobby. I recommend to start:

Natural Beekeeping by Conrad Ross

The Practical Beekeeper by Michael Bush

These books go against the traditional line of thought of considering feeding sugar and pre-emptively striking with antibiotics and other medicines to be normal practice. I am still a new keeper, but so far with the three years I've had my hives I haven't had a problem going natural. Also means you don't have to play with nasty things you don't want to play with as a hobbyist.

The Michael Bush book's content can be found on the Michael Bush website for free. I prefer reading paper, and bought the book, but you can still learn plenty from his site: Bush Farms.

Good luck!