From left to right, I have on my shelf: 1) "Honey Bee Pests Predators, and Diseases" Published by AI Root, a book that gets depressingly thicker and heavier with every edition, and may soon rival the 30-pound two volume "Compact Oxford English Dictionary" in bulk, mass, and microscopic typeface. 2) "The Wisdom of the Hive" Authored by Tom Seeley, published by Harvard Univ. Press. Neither book is cheap, and neither has even a single word about "basic beekeeping", but the first is a very good reference for understanding the pests and diseases, and the second is an excepctional reference for understanding the oft-ignored issue of "bee behavior". The other books on the shelf? Attempts to force-fit rules of thumb, personal opinions, and general statements into situations involving insects who are much less predicable than those who write books about bees. Writing about beekeeping is much like dancing about chemistry. jim :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::