As a former employee at Microsoft, now turned beekeeper, I have an interest in the intersection of the software world and the beekeeping world.  

Alan Riach suggests using Microosft Access to create a hive/yard database.  While I commend him for choosing a Microsoft product, I have to say that Access may tend toward overkill for the needs of most beekeepers, whether hobbyists or commerical keepers. I prefer to use the database module in Microsoft Works, which I find to be more than adequate for tracking the goings on in my four beeyards. The Works database is MUCH easier to learn to use than Access yet still allows for a great deal of flexibility in designing your database as well as in searching for particular sets of information once the database is designed and implemented. I'd be glad to share the particular fields I use with anyone who cares to email me.

Cheers from Western Washington

Dan Brown
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