How to Keep Bees: A Handbook for the Use of Beginners

by Anna Botsford Comstock

Learn the practical basics of beekeeping from a trusted beginner’s guide.

This handbook covers setup, hive care, and honey production in a clear, ready-to-use way so you can start and sustain a healthy apiary.

This edition presents a thorough introduction to why people keep bees, the tools and structures of a hive, and step-by-step guidance on handling bees, managing hives, and producing honey. It combines practical instructions with the broader context of bee science, making it helpful for hobbyists and budding beekeepers alike. How to start an apiary and choose a suitable hive setup Foundational hive management, inspection routines, and queen handling Harvesting honey, including comb-honey and extracted honey methods Strategies for marketing, storage, and preventing common problems Ideal for readers new to beekeeping, the edition offers clear, actionable steps to build confidence and enjoy a rewarding, outdoor, science-based hobby.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Anna Botsford Comstock (1854-1930) was an acclaimed author, illustrator, and educator of natural studies. The first female professor at Cornell University, her over 900-page work, The Handbook of Nature Study (1911), is now in its 24th edition. Comstock was an American artist and wood engraver known for illustrating entomological text books with her her husband, John Henry Comstock including their first joint effort, The Manual for the Study of Insects (1885). She wrote Confessions To A Heathen Idol, published in 1906, under the name Marian Lee.