There’s no shortage of new beekeeping books these days. Lots of beekeepers generously share their knowledge and expertise with us on paper. I’ve not written a book yet but I know it takes much time and effort to produce one, and I take my hat off to all the authors. I’m an avid reader which is just as well because I’ve been asked to write regular reviews for Northern Bee Books and Beekeepers’ Quarterly magazine. I’m also in the middle of a professional proofreading course.
Some of these books just stand out and resonate with me. Theresa Martin’s superb book is one of them. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a couple of day. It’s a well written books that flows perfectly and logically. Important points are repeated throughout the text and it’s an inspiring read.
Theresa Martin.
You cannot help but admire someone who takes up a new hobby and researches it so thoroughly that they have a sound management plan and success from the start. I was curious to learn more about the author so I listened to her being interviewed on Beekeeping Today: https://www.beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/dead-bees-dont-make-honey-with-theresa-martin-304/ That lead on to the discovery of a video recording of Theresa’s field exam for the Cornell Master Beekeeper course where she gained a very high pass score. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pefLC89hLx4
Review.
(Northern Bee Books will be stocking copies of this book soon.)
Title: Dead Bees Don’t Make Honey: 10 Tips for Healthy Productive Bees
Author: Theresa J. Martin
Publisher: Little Wolf Farm, 2024, 250 pages
ISBN: 979-8-9902757-0-6 (paperback) 979-8-9902757-2-0 (hardcover)
Cost: £15.43 paperback & £30.86 hardcover
Dead Bees Don’t Make Honey: 10 Tips for Healthy Productive Bees by Theresa Martin is the outcome of her highly successful six-year journey into beekeeping following the Darwinian beekeeping principles outlined by Professor Tom Seeley in his book The Lives of Bees. Seeley endorses Martin’s outstanding book in the foreword.
Martin uses science to support her honey bee management strategies and she shares many references with us and how she gleans information from research papers to inform best practice. This book is presented in four parts. The first deals with her ten tips which include acquiring local bees, encouraging propolis production, and spacing colonies as far apart as possible. These tips form the foundation of her beekeeping programme. The second part is dedicated to the hive temperature sensor system (T2SM BroodMinder) that she uses as a key management tool to learn about hive conditions without disturbing a colony too often. We discover how the temperature rises inside a hive when a colony swarms, and when the queen starts egg laying again during winter. Treatment-free beekeeping and varroa resistance are discussed in detail in the third part where the reader learns just how complicated it can be to achieve treatment-free beekeeping and varroa resistance in crowded locations where different beekeepers have different agendas and management plans. The final part covers the questions frequently asked of the author; her answers are very informative. This section also includes advice for new beekeepers, the author’s detailed beekeeping calendar, and her future goals which include continuing to read scientific papers and keeping well informed.
This remarkable book is a joy to read because it is very well written and flows beautifully giving clear, concise information that is easy to understand. Martin sticks to the subject in hand but gives references to 156 useful notes at the back. Many readers will find this most helpful and easier to read than footnotes on each page. Although relatively new to beekeeping, the author shows us how her beekeeping methods have achieved almost 100% colony survival rate against the backdrop of reported average colony losses of 48% in the US.
Martin’s beekeeping style is a low- intervention approach with a disciplined and dedicated strategy of monitoring varroa levels and treating a colony only if it necessary. She explains well how integrated pest management works, which is important and often not clearly understood by some beekeepers. She leaves each colony with enough honey stores to last through winter without artificial feeding, and yet she harvests above average honey yields in her area of Kentucky. Martin is clear that her approach to beekeeping is not the only ‘right way’, and at the beginning states, “The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation.”
We all strive to improve the survival rates of our honey bee colonies. This fascinating book will appeal to new and to established beekeepers who are open to appraising their own practices and considering making some positive changes. Beekeeping teachers and mentors will also want to read a copy.