The secret – how enjoyable and rewarding owning and maintaining a backyard hive is – is out! Not only are the benefits of owning your own hive (or hives!) numerous, this hobby that will benefit your family, your land and the environment. More backyard beehives are popping up all over the country. Whether you are a seasoned beekeeper or on still on the fence about taking the leap and starting your own hive, the 5th edition of GRIT’s Guide to Backyard Bees and Honey is an excellent source to help you get started!

This 100-page guide is filled with some of the best articles published in GRIT magazine, covering almost everything you need to know about starting, maintaining and benefiting from owning your own beehive … everything from buying and installing your first package of bees into the new hive to cooking with the delicious honey they produce. Several articles cover step-by-step instructions on how to build your own beehive. Other articles cover how important bees and other pollinators are to the land. Plus, are you brave enough to take the “Name that Bee” quiz and identify more than 10 different species of bees?

More articles included:
• Homesteading With the Bees – Our bloggers offer up their well-earned expertise on keeping backyard bees.
• Getting to Know Your Bees – The sweet truth about the life and times of one of humankind’s most important social insects.
• Building a Top-Bar Hive – A different approach allows the beekeeper a simpler method of checking on his charges.
• Wholesome as Honey – Famous as a sweet treat, this bee staple is packed with good nutrition and health.
• How to Build a Honey Extractor – You can make an inexpensive honey extractor from simple materials available in your local hardware store.
• DIY Beeswax Crafts for the Home – With the increased interest in beekeeping, the use of honey and beeswax has become an artisanal trend.