The bee and the hive

The objectives of this manual are to introduce people to the world of bees, understand their sensitivity, and share good beekeeping practices. Having developed a small apiary (35-40 hives) whose management is respected by his peers, Alain Péricard generously shares the fruits of his experience and knowledge to support anyone aspiring to start or improve their skills in beekeeping. Whether it is theoretical and technical knowledge or valuable physical, manual, visual, even olfactory and auditory skills, this book will teach you:

• the basics of bee biology and its interactions with the environment;
• the resources needed to install your hives, on which site;
• the essential equipment and tools to carry out the various tasks during hive visits throughout the beekeeping season;
• how to identify, prevent and protect your hives from diseases, parasites and predators, and how to maintain the good health of colonies;
• techniques specific to interventions concerning the queen and genetic selection;
• how to extract, use and process honey and other beehive products;
• how to promote vigorous colonies at the end of the critical wintering period.