A practical guide to help beginning beekeepers--from homesteaders to urban dwellers--navigate the dynamically changing world of beekeeping. Whether your goal is to harvest honey, support local pollination, or simply enjoy a fascinating new hobby, Beekeeping Today provides a solid foundation for anyone curious about starting their own honey bee colony. This guide follows the natural rhythm of the hive, walking you through your first year of beekeeping season by season and giving you a complete, realistic picture of what it takes to maintain a thriving apiary. Each section focuses on the practical tasks and observations unique to that time of year--from the spring hive setup and acquiring your first honey bee colony, to summer's population growth and fall's honey harvesting, to successfully overwintering a colony and performing the first hive split in the second spring--so that your knowledge grows alongside your bees. Along the way, authors Jeff Ott and Rebecca Masterman share insights from their years of experience in hands-on beekeeping, research, and beekeeper education. They also address common challenges, including pests, parasites, pesticides, and diseases. By tying solutions back to a deeper understanding of honey bee behavior and biology, they ensure you will gain the knowledge and confidence needed to become a capable, responsible, and successful beekeeper. Chapters cover: An overview of honey bee castes Colony dynamics Beekeeping equipment and safety Purchasing honey bees and siting your apiary Colony inspection checklists Queen skills and strategies Colony health threats Common beekeeping challenges And more!
Jeff Ott is a master beekeeper certified by the University of Montana and the Washington State Beekeepers Association, and co-founder and co-host of the internationally recognized Beekeeping Today podcast. He began keeping honey bees as a child, inspired by an observation hive in his bedroom, and has managed colonies for honey production and local pollination while serving in leadership roles within regional beekeeping associations, including as a past president of the Medina County Beekeepers Association in Ohio. Through Growing Planet Media, Jeff produces Beekeeping Today podcast and Honey Bee Obscura, blending science, storytelling, and practical experience to support beekeepers at every stage. He has written for American Bee Journal, was a regular contributor to Bee Culture, and contributes to The Beekeeper's Quarterly, a UK-based beekeeping journal. Based in Olympia, Washington, Jeff continues to educate and connect the beekeeping community through speaking, writing, and media. Becky Masterman received a PhD studying honey bee hygienic behavior in Dr. Marla Spivak's University of Minnesota Bee Lab. She led the UMN Bee Squad from 2013 to 2020 and currently supports the Minnesota Extension Apiculture Program with honey bee sampling, teaching beekeeping, and writing about management. She has had a monthly Bee Culture magazine column since 2020 and has been the co-host of the Beekeeping Today podcast since 2024. Active in the Minnesota Honey Producers Association, she is a former board member and currently chairs their Habitat Committee. Becky manages approximately seventy-five honey bee colonies in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
