Applied Beekeeping in the Southeast United States

Drawing on more than 50 years of hands-on beekeeping experience, David MacFawn shares practical techniques, management strategies, and financial insights for beekeepers throughout the Southeast United States. Written for advanced beginners through experienced professionals, this second edition combines field-tested methods with updated research and current industry developments. Because all beekeeping is local, not every technique presented will apply in every region. However, each recommendation is offered for consideration and adaptation to local conditions. In addition to hive management, the book explores financial planning and business practices essential for starting, managing, and growing a successful beekeeping operation. Many businesses fail because of inadequate financial controls and planning; this book helps beekeepers avoid those pitfalls. Organized as a practical reference, readers can use the table of contents to quickly locate topics of interest and study them individually, or read the book from cover to cover for a comprehensive understanding of modern beekeeping practices. This fully updated second edition includes expanded discussions on hive ventilation and insulation, propolis management, eight-frame versus ten-frame hives, treatment-free beekeeping, Tropilaelaps mites, current financial data, and the latest information available on the Yellow-Legged Hornet (Vespa velutina) as of May 2026. Readers should have completed at least a basic beekeeping course and be familiar with standard beekeeping terminology.

David MacFawn is a North Carolina Master Craftsman Beekeeper and an Eastern Apicultural Society Master Beekeeper. He co-founded the South Carolina Master Beekeeping Program, received the South Carolina Beekeeper of the Year Award in 1996 and 2020, and incorporated the South Carolina Beekeepers Association as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. He has published more than 60 articles in American Bee Journal, Bee Culture, and Beekeeping: The First Three Years. A 2021 CIPA EVVY Awards second-place winner, David has also authored seven books for beekeepers. As principal researcher, he led the study Preferred Plants and Nectar Collecting Times for Honey Production. He has provided expert guidance to Bee Downtown, helping identify bee colony characteristics that support stronger organizational dynamics through parallels with hive behavior. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Operations Research. After more than 30 years in the computer industry, he continues to contribute to bee research and currently serves as a consultant to Morgan E. Christman on the USDA-NIFA-AFRI-FAS RFA 2026 Seasonal Honey Bee Foraging and Contaminant Exposure in Louisiana Agroecosystems.