Discovering the World of Honey Bees and Beekeeping

You don't have to be a scientist or a lifelong beekeeper to fall in love with the world of honey bees. Discovering the World of Honey Bees and Beekeeping is designed to take anyone, regardless of their experience, on a rewarding adventure by first exploring the fascinating biology and behavior of these insects. This book is designed to help readers see the environment from a bee's perspective, revealing the vital role pollinators play in our food systems and local ecosystems. Whether you are a student, a backyard gardener, or a nature lover, this guide provides a clear, step-by-step roadmap for success. You will learn the language of the hive, harvest your first crop of honey, and contribute to the health of our planet. This is not a technical manual; it is an invitation to join a community of keepers dedicated to protecting one of nature's most fascinating secrets.

The first section, "Learning About Beekeeping," introduces bees and beekeeping, and is intended to prepare learners to set up their own hive. "Working With Honey Bees," the next section, guides learners setting up their first hive and demonstrates how to keep records. Section three, "Advanced Beekeeping," provides information on how to increase the size of the apiary, seasonal management, and troubleshooting problems. The final section presented in Discovering the World of Honey Bees and Beekeeping, the "Facilitator's Guide," provides answers to the youth activities as well as information about Next Generation Science Standards.

Natalie J. Carroll is a Purdue University professor with extensive experience in curriculum development. She and her creative writing teams have composed thirty-two natural resource, activity-based curricula for youth and twenty-three grant-funded projects. She and her coauthors have received ten national awards for their work. She has also published numerous journal articles and educational works for youth and adults, and has presented her work to hundreds of conferences in Indiana and around the world. Carroll has received seven awards for curriculum development from professional associations in addition to Purdue's Christian J. Foster Award for Contributions to K–12 STEM Education and the Frederick L. Hovde Award of Excellence in Educational Service to the Rural People of Indiana from the Indiana Farm Bureau.

Greg Hunt is professor emeritus of entomology at Purdue University. His research focused on honey bee genetics and behavior, and he created the first genetic map of the honey bee genome in order to study behavioral genetics. He has collaborated with beekeepers in applied research and extension projects around the world. Together with Krispn Given, his program at Purdue selected for resistance to the major cause of honey bee mortality, the introduced parasitic Varroa mites. Hunt also served as one of the cofounders of the first Midwestern beekeeping association, the Heartland Apicultural Society.

Krispn Given is a leading international authority in honey bee breeding and instrumental insemination. Serving as the senior apiculture specialist at Purdue University, he has directed the honey bee breeding program for more than 20 years. He helped pioneer the landmark "Indiana Mite-biter" honey bee strain alongside Greg Hunt and designed insemination devices utilized by researchers around the world. Given is also the cofounder of Apis Engineering, which develops and manufactures these innovative tools. As an educator, he designed two advanced courses in queen rearing and instrumental insemination. An author of numerous scientific publications and book chapters, Given has received multiple prestigious honors for his contributions, including the 2023 international Roger A. Morse Outstanding Teaching Award in recognition of his innovative work in sustainable apiculture research.