Beekeeping

Joachim Petterson, illustrated by Sara Petterson

Bees are a man’s best friend. These busy insects work hard to pollinate our gardens and do an important job that we couldn’t do without. But bees are finding it increasingly difficult in the world that they share with us. The question is, what can we do to help them?

We can invite them into our gardens. There are many species of bees and all of them feed on nectar, which we can provide them with by planting the right kind of flowers. Or why not do your whole neighborhood a favor and become a beekeeper. Not only is it a great hobby, you’ll also be rewarded with a plentiful supply of honey that you can use in tea as well as for cooking, baking and perhaps even lip salve and skin cream.

In Beekeeping, Joachim Petterson describes a year in the life of beekeeping, how to take care of the bees and the social structure of a beehive. Seven years ago he was a complete beginner in beekeeping but strong family traditions aroused his interest and he put up his first hives in the garden of his house in a suburb of Stockholm. He is now an experienced beekeeper who knows how to set up and maintain a colony of happy, healthy bees.