As increasing factors threaten the world’s honeybees in recent years, beekeeping has gained new interest and respect. Mother Earth News has joined in the fight to save the honeybee and other pollinators. In these pages, you will find advice, tips, and personal experiences from novice to expert beekeepers from every walk of life and every corner of the country.

In Raise Backyard Bees, you will find beekeeping information on building beehives, installing bees in the hive, gathering up a swarm, breeding queen bees, caring for your bees, harvesting honey, and processing honey for sale.

You’ll meet people who dreamed of becoming beekeepers for years before taking the plunge, who has been working with bees for decades, and who inherited their love of bees from family members. We’ve even included a few recipes where you can use your freshly harvested honey for delicious results.

You will surely find exactly what you’re looking for in this book. Enjoy your journey into beekeeping, and we look forward to learning about your experiences. You’re off to a great start!