Manuals

Manual Cover

Manuals are made available to download without charge when possible. To help cover the expenses to produce these, consider donating to the Bee Lab.

Beekeeping in Northern Climates - Third Edition

Authors: Lee, K.; Reuter, G.; Spivak, M.

Illustrator: Anne Turnham 

Description:

Beekeeping in Northern Climates, Third Edition will teach you how to successfully keep honey bee colonies in a cold climate. The manual provides 133 full-color pages of in-depth information on basic beekeeping management, including procedures for establishing and maintaining a new colony, equipment needs, swarm prevention techniques, troubleshooting queen bee problems, wintering colonies, honey production, and honey extraction. It also covers biology behind bee behaviors and management practices. For anyone interested in learning to keep honey bees.

This manual accompanies our Beekeeping in Northern Climates courses. 

Download a free PDF. Hard copies of the manuals are for sale at the U of MN Bookstore. (You will receive a printed manual in the mail as part of the Beekeeping in Northern Climates online course or the in-person Beekeeping in Northern Climates Year 1 course)

Successful Queen Rearing Manual

Spivak, M.; Reuter, G.

Description: Provides how-to information on biology of queens and drones, stock selection and maintenance, Doolittle method, mating yards, making queens, timing of rearing queens, and record keeping. Includes designs for making your own equipment. 80 pages. A companion video is available below. For hobby and commercial beekeepers and professionals who work with beekeepers.

Purchase manual Successful Queen Rearing$25.00

View companion video to Successful Queen Rearing.  Free. If you wish to donate see our Giving page.

Beekeeping in Northern Climates - First Edition

Furgala, B.; Spivak, M.; Reuter, G.

Description: This manual has been replaced by Beekeeping in Northern Climates - Third Edition. Provides basic management principles and methods for managing wintered honey bee colonies in northern climates. Includes ten illustrations, a resource list and glossary. 75 pages. For beekeepers. entomology students, and others interested in beekeeping. A 40-minute companion video is available below.  

This manual was last updated in 2017. If you have a 2013 version, you can download a PDF file with the 2017 changes highlighted.

Download 1st Edition PDF (2017) - Free. If you wish to donate see our Giving page.

Download 1st Edition in Spanish PDF

View companion video to the Beekeeping in Northern Climates First Edition