-Progression Mapping Colony Direction-

Colony Tracing/Volume IV

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

Colony Tracing: Progression Mapping Colony Direction
Learn to read your colonies like a map. This book shows how to track their signals, measure progression, and understand the direction they’re heading—so your decisions are guided by insight, not guesswork.

About The Book

Colony Tracing: Progression Mapping Colony Direction
The fourth book in The Hive Doctor’s signal-based series
Every colony is already moving in a direction. The challenge isn’t effort, it’s knowing where that direction leads.
Colony Tracing teaches beekeepers how to move beyond isolated inspections and begin mapping colony progression over time. By learning what signals matter, where to start measuring from, and how to connect observations across seasons, you gain the ability to interpret trajectory instead of reacting to moments.
This book provides a practical framework for understanding colony behavior as a living system, allowing for better timing, fewer unnecessary interventions, and clearer decisions rooted in direction rather than guesswork.
Stop asking what to do next.
Start tracing where the colony is headed.

The Hive Doctor

25+ years as a professional beekeeper, guiding hives and beekeepers alike

If you’ve ever stood over an open hive wondering whether you’re helping or quietly making things worse, I understand that feeling. I’ve seen it happen countless times—not because people don’t care, but because the signals aren’t obvious when you’re new. I spent 15 years apprenticing alongside commercial beekeepers, where every choice had real consequences and reading the bees’ signals correctly wasn’t optional. In 2017, I went out on my own—and along the way, I’ve helped hobbyists and intermediate beekeepers make sense of their first seasons without the trial-and-error I once faced. This bookstore is the shortcut I wish I had. Every recommendation comes from years of hands-on experience, so you can focus on what matters, skip the noise, and build healthy, thriving hives with confidence. Think of it as a guide to learning your bees—and enjoying the process—without getting lost.

More Books by The Hive Doctor

The Butterfly Effect of Beekeeping/Volume III/Enlarged Edition

The Four Behavior Shifts That Change Your Entire Season

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

The Butterfly Effect of Beekeeping reveals how a few small behavioral shifts can dramatically alter an entire beekeeping season. By focusing on four high-impact changes, this book helps beekeepers create better outcomes with less effort and stress.

Signal-Based Beekeeping/Volume I/Enlarged Edition

Stop Managing Outcomes. Start Managing Signals.

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

Signal-Based Beekeeping reframes hive management around interpretation rather than control. By learning to read colony signals instead of forcing outcomes, beekeepers make clearer decisions, reduce intervention, and build more resilient hives.

The Unmanaged Hive/Volume II/Enlarged Edition

Why Less Intervention, Applied Precisely, Produces Stronger Colonies

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

The Unmanaged Hive challenges the assumption that more intervention creates healthier colonies. By applying fewer actions with greater precision, beekeepers can reduce stress, strengthen natural systems, and support more resilient bees.

The Future-Proof Beekeeper/Enlarged Edition

The Past, Present, and Future of Beekeeping

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

The Future‑Proof Beekeeper explores where beekeeping has come from, where it stands today, and what it must become to remain viable. This book equips beekeepers to adapt, think critically, and build resilient practices in a rapidly changing world.

The Varroa Mite Playbook/Enlarged Edition

Demystifying Mite Control Methods

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

The Varroa Mite Playbook cuts through confusion and fear surrounding varroa mites. This practical guide explains why mite control works, when to apply it, and how to choose the right strategy—without dogma, hype, or guesswork.

The Seasonal Roadmap to Keeping bees Anywhere

What to do & When to do it

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

Book 2 in The Hive Doctor's Guide Series

Intuitive Beekeeping

The Path from Beginner to Master

by Jonathan Adam Hargus

Book 1 in The Hive Doctor's Guide Series