Book Review: Hive Tour

Hive Tour by Phil Frank and Frank Linton is one of our newest additions to the Betterbee Library, and we are proud to showcase it as a learning resource for new beekeepers of all ages. With full-page color photographs and thoughtful explanations, this book offers the simplicity needed for both adult beekeepers just starting out as well as young learners in a classroom setting.

Hive Tour for new and seasoned beekeepers

Seasoned beekeepers can use this book to help new-bees and wanna-bees understand their hive. Confident first-timers can also use it as a guide to plan their own hive observations. Instead of chapters, the book is organized by "Tours," bringing you up close to every aspect of a colony. Before each visit to your bee yard, decide what you want to search for in your hive. Read that chapter (or Tour) in the book to help visualize what you should be looking for. The new vocabulary you learn will also help you talk with experienced beekeepers about your bees and what they are up to.

The first year of beekeeping can be overwhelming (to say the least) - there are so many things to see when your hive is open! Use this book in conjunction with an observation journal to help identify and keep track of your colony’s growth and development throughout the year.

Hive Tour for teaching about honey bees and beekeeping in the classroom

Hive Tour can also supplement your lessons with young learners or those who are not yet ready to open a hive. Each page offers a look into a hive in great detail but from the safety of a classroom (and ideally an observation hive). Each page prompts the learner to engage in the material, such as "Find comb-building" and "Find a tucked proboscis." 

Beekeeping mentors can easily expand upon the subject matter with the glossary of terms and further reading lists. Educators for school-age children can use this book to incorporate beekeeping in math, science, and art lessons. For example, have you ever tried to calculate the location to which a waggle dance directs other honey bees (page 45), or to estimate a hive's population (page 12)? We recommend adding Hive Tour to any classroom or school library for independent study and research.

If you are an educator, you can easily plan an entire unit or presentation around this publication. If you're a beekeeper, give your mentees (or interested adults) a great introduction to the hobby. Regardless of copies ordered, Hive Tour ships free and is available here. 

Do you have any questions about incorporating this book into your lesson plan or lecture? Give us a call at 1-800-632-3379 or shoot us an email at support@betterbee.com and we'll be glad to give you some ideas!