The Bee and the Hive

Alain Péricard has developed a small apiary (35-40 hives) whose management is respected by his peers. He generously shares the fruits of his experience and knowledge to support anyone aspiring to start or improve their beekeeping skills. The objectives of this manual are to introduce you to the world of bees, understand how they work, and share good beekeeping practices. This new edition presents the most recent advances in theoretical and technical knowledge and will teach you:
the basics of bee biology and its interactions with the environment;
the resources needed to install your hives and choose your site carefully;
the essential equipment and tools to carry out the various tasks throughout the beekeeping season;
how to identify, prevent and protect your hives from diseases, parasites and predators, and how to maintain healthy 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.
Placing his approach within the necessary reconfiguration of our relationship with nature, the author also explains all that being with bees brings us, collectively and individually, whether it be their importance for the environment, food, health, but also our simple pleasure. Richly illustrated and written by an experienced beekeeper, this book has established itself since its first edition as an essential reference in ecological beekeeping in the French-speaking world.