The number of urban beekeepers has escalated with more than 25 percent increases year over year in the United States and the United Kingdom. From a go-to authority on beekeeping and backyard farming, The Rooftop Beekeeper is the first handbook to explore the ease and charm of keeping bees in an urban environment. This useful manual— at once a good read and a pretty object—features a relatable first-person narrative, checklists, numbered how-tos, beautiful illustrations and 75 color photographs. Covering all aspects of urban beekeeping, this book also provides readers with plenty of sweet recipes for delicious treats, tonics, and beauty products to make with home-harvested honey.

Megan Paska is a New York City–based apiarist, blogger, and founder of Hayseed’s Big City Farm Supply.