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Langstroth's Hive and the Honey-Bee: The Classic Beekeeper's Manual
Rev. Langstroth provides an engaging and comprehensive overview of modern beekeeping, from the physiology and behavior of bees to managing them in hives. Packed with interesting observations from years of experience, this book will make you an expert beekeeper in no time.
This influential guide by the Reverend L. L. Langstroth, "the father of modern beekeeping," revolutionized the practice of beekeeping . Originally published in 1853, his work constitutes the first descriptive treatise of modern bee management — its innovations allowed people to engage in actual beekeeping, rather than simply handling bee domiciles and extracting the honey. This book explains and illustrates techniques still employed 150 years later — including the author's patented invention, a movable frame hive that quickly spread into common use around the world.
In his reader-friendly, nontechnical style, Langstroth addresses every aspect of beekeeping : bee physiology; diseases and enemies of bees; the life-cycles of the queen, drone, and worker; bee-hives; and the handling of bees. An infectious sense of wonder and enthusiasm suffuses Langstroth's accounts of natural and artificial swarming, the production of honey and wax, and the best methods of feeding bees and maintaining an apiary . The manual abounds in practical and intriguing insights attained through the years of observation and experience, including "the kindness of bees to one another," "their infatuation for liquid sweets," and "the warning given by bees before stinging."
This version of Langstroth's ever-popular manual is the fourth and final edition; it incorporates the author's own revisions and remains an unsurpassed resource for beekeepers .
This influential guide by the Reverend L. L. Langstroth, "the father of modern beekeeping," revolutionized the practice of beekeeping . Originally published in 1853, his work constitutes the first descriptive treatise of modern bee management — its innovations allowed people to engage in actual beekeeping, rather than simply handling bee domiciles and extracting the honey. This book explains and illustrates techniques still employed 150 years later — including the author's patented invention, a movable frame hive that quickly spread into common use around the world.
In his reader-friendly, nontechnical style, Langstroth addresses every aspect of beekeeping : bee physiology; diseases and enemies of bees; the life-cycles of the queen, drone, and worker; bee-hives; and the handling of bees. An infectious sense of wonder and enthusiasm suffuses Langstroth's accounts of natural and artificial swarming, the production of honey and wax, and the best methods of feeding bees and maintaining an apiary . The manual abounds in practical and intriguing insights attained through the years of observation and experience, including "the kindness of bees to one another," "their infatuation for liquid sweets," and "the warning given by bees before stinging."
This version of Langstroth's ever-popular manual is the fourth and final edition; it incorporates the author's own revisions and remains an unsurpassed resource for beekeepers .
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1857
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 16, 2007
A bee-keeper at the farmer's market in Raleigh told me that this was the last word in bee-keeping. That seems doubtful. I didn't read every word, and it was certainly a neat read in many respects, but not in the practical way I was hoping.
Langstroth, himself, was a rural Ohio Episcople priest who was given to melancholy and turned to bees as an expression of the now-obsolere amature naturalist. (See Mendel, et al.) In all the ways that the book reflectsthat tradition (as well as the type setting and wood cuts) it's a great book. As a field manual for someone wanting to keep bees, it was less helpful.
Langstroth, himself, was a rural Ohio Episcople priest who was given to melancholy and turned to bees as an expression of the now-obsolere amature naturalist. (See Mendel, et al.) In all the ways that the book reflectsthat tradition (as well as the type setting and wood cuts) it's a great book. As a field manual for someone wanting to keep bees, it was less helpful.
June 9, 2013
The good Reverend sure knew his bees. However, for somebody who did a sermon every week he wasn't as smooth at slipping in the biblical references as I would have thought. The preachy parts weren't at all overly preachy, but the didn't flow particularly well. For that matter, flow was an issue in general.
Have to give him high marks for creativity and keen insights. He changed the beekeeping world, no doubt about it. It's striking to read a work from the 1850's that articulates almost all the same issues that are around today (with the exception of pesticides).
Seemed rather long and in the last chapter he said so himself!
Have to give him high marks for creativity and keen insights. He changed the beekeeping world, no doubt about it. It's striking to read a work from the 1850's that articulates almost all the same issues that are around today (with the exception of pesticides).
Seemed rather long and in the last chapter he said so himself!
November 3, 2007
How to keep bees...even in the city. Bee bible.
August 24, 2020
A classic, but a hard read. The language is full of religious references, and even rasist comments. But if you can put that aside, to some extent typical for the period it was written, there are a lot of knowledge and experience offered by reverend Langstroth. And the Langstroth hive design is still among the most popular in the world, so he did a lot of things right. But there are modern books on beekeeping today that offer better instructions on practical beekeeping. Some of his advise has been proven dubious to say the least, for example the habit of spraying sugared water to calm and distract them.
February 6, 2021
After doing a practical beekeeping course and reading another text, I thought this book was so interesting because of how Langstroth describes the ways beekeepers discovered the facts about bees we now take for granted. This book is more philosophical than practical, but since I will be keeping Langstroth hives, and this book was recommended to me by a beekeeper I trust, I wanted to read it. I got a kick out of some of Langstroth's musings on the bees, particularly about the queen bee as mother bee. I don't think this book will necessarily teach you to keep a hive, but I do think it earns its place on the must-read shelf for beekeepers. 🐝🍯
July 4, 2020
This is -the- book on the standard hive design used by modern beekeepers, by the person who invented it. There are numerous modern improvements, but this describes the reasons for the overall design. So... if you want to know the whys and wherefores of the standard hive, you have to read this book! There are other books that are more up to date about hive design, but they are in a conversation with Langstroth, whether they know it or not. One of the revelations to me was that most modern hives are cheapened simplifications of the actual original Langstroth hive.
December 14, 2020
A must-to-read for any beekeeper! A charming and informative insight into the history of modern beekeeping, plus an authentic glimpse of the "times."
July 8, 2021
Informative, but extremely boring and unnecessarily religious
September 21, 2022
This is a great read, albeit slightly dated material.
July 18, 2020
History of bee keeping
I liked reading what earlier beekeepers did to obtain honey. It is fun to read how these folks worked with their hives. I appreciate the tools and procedures we use today that make the job easier .
I liked reading what earlier beekeepers did to obtain honey. It is fun to read how these folks worked with their hives. I appreciate the tools and procedures we use today that make the job easier .
April 13, 2010
The "Great Book" of beekeeping wherein Langstroth introduces the reasoning behind the modern form of hive (basically a three dimensional Cartesian space that allows bees to be their oblong-hive-building selves while allowing the beekeeping to access rectangular frames of honey). If you ever find yourself in the position of justifying an innovative technology, the introduction can double as a useful how-to.
July 7, 2013
An indispensable reference and compendium of bee knowledge. A lot of it will feel anachronistic because we KNOW many of these things already--we know his hive is the best because we still use it--but nevertheless his descriptions and insights on bee behavior still hold to this day, and his passion for the bees and love of them is evident. Langstroth was bipolar, and beekeeping saved his life.
November 16, 2009
This man modernized beekeeping. Readable and so intresting
February 23, 2014
I like reading old texts and this was no exception. I'm doing a bit of research into starting up bee-keeping and the history nerd in me couldn't help but add this one to my work.
November 29, 2016
A bit dated, a classic by the man who made keeping modern. And a fellow Philadelphia.
June 12, 2022
I'm not a beekeeper, but I know a little. This book was an entertaining read and I very accessible, I thought.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews