Mark Your Calendars!!!

Crossroads Beekeepers will be hosting their

 

2013 Bee School

Saturday, February 9, 2013,

Stewardson Community Building,

Stewardson, Illinois

 

Two all-day workshops for
beginning and experienced beekeepers.

 

Click on the below link for the
bee school flyer and registration form.

 

www.quicksall.net/2013-CB-BeeSchool.pdf

Next Meeting - December 10th

The Crossroads Beekeepers will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, December 10th, at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham. Please enter through the west doors and go downstairs.

Terry Combs, President of the St. Clair Beekeepers Association, will be the evening's presenter speaking on the topic of "Coming into Spring" to help beekeepers plan ahead for early spring activities with their bees. In addition to the presentation, club members are asked to bring a dessert treat to share for the Christmas season.

As always, the general public is invited to attend.

For more information about the Crossroads Beekeepers contact Larry Quicksall at 217-347-5937 or visit their website at http://CrossroadsBeekeepers.blogspot.com.

Bee Extractions

The Crossroads Beekeepers met tonight, and Dave Dhom and Terry Hopper gave an excellent presentation on Bee Extractions and How to Charge What Your Service is Worth. 

Terry Hopper may be new to bee keeping, but he is not new to specialized businesses.  Terry shared how he grew a DJ business into a full service wedding reception business, and how he is able to receive a fair compensation for his service because he has (1) a specialized knowledge, and (2) specialized equipment.  Terry encouraged the bee keepers in attendance that they have specialized knowledge in working with thousands of animals that sting, specialized equipment for bee extraction, and should be justly compensated for the services performed. 

Dave shared his knowledge and experience in bee extractions including the types of equipment necessary to do the job properly, how to save the bees if possible, and how to make sure other swarms do not return to the same location next year.

Next month's meeting, October 8th, will feature Mike Benslay, beekeeper from Strasburg, on how to prepare your hives for winter.

Eleanor's Wedding

On Saturday, September 8, 2012, fellow Crossroads Beekeeper, Eleanor Balson became Eleanor Schumacher as she married the man of her dreams, Raph Schumacher.  However, this was no ordinary wedding, it was the wedding of a beekeeper and a dairy farmer.  And, with Eleanor's artistic and creative personality you know the decorations had to be fantastic as she played with the theme of a marriage made for the land of milk and honey!  The wedding was held at the Mills Apple Orchard, near Marine, Illinois.

Doesn't Eleanor make a beautiful bride?

 

Recycled Equipment becomes a Wedding Card Box

 

The blended bee/cow theme was everywhere!

 

I believe Eleanor said they filled 400 mini bears with honey as wedding favors.

 

We knew we were at the right place!

 

Beehives stood in attendance at the outdoor wedding chapel.

 

Would you expect anything else for wedding cakes!

 

The happy couple walk back down the aisle to the sound of cow bells!

 

 

At 4am the next morning Eleanor posted this message on facebook:

"Best day of my life!!! Now I'm off to milk some cows! Hooray!!!!!!"

 

 

The Crossroads Beekeepers wish Raph and Eleanor
all the best for their new marriage!

 

 

 

Next Meeting September 10th

The Crossroads Beekeepers will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, September 10th, at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham. Please enter through the west doors and go downstairs.
 

David Dhom, beekeeper from Newton, will be presenting on the topic of removing established wild bee hives from people's homes, buildings, and trees. Dave is the Secretary of the Crossroads Beekeepers and has 9 years experience working with his wife, Lisa, managing 70-100 colonies of bees each year. Dave has been called upon numerous times over the years to remove problematic bees from people's property, and he will share with the club both suggestions for successful removal and proper financial compensation.

Bring a friend!!! Looking Forward to Seeing All of You at the Meeting!!!

Honey Competition Results

Honey Competition Results

Our August 13th meeting marked our clubs 2nd Anniversary and our 2nd Annual Honey Competition. Dan Wright, Regional Apiary Inspector with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and President of the Illiana Beekeepers Association, was the judge for the event. Honey was judged in the following categories: cut comb, light, amber, and dark. 

 

 

Category winners are as follows:

Cut Comb: First Place - Dave Koenegstein, Second Place - John Killough

Light Liquid Honey: First Place - Larry Passalacqua, Second Place - Rick Russell & Stacey James, Third Place - Aaron Quicksall

Amber Liquid Honey: First Place - Dave Koenegstein, Second Place - Larry Quicksall, Third Place - David & Lisa Dhom

Dark Liquid Honey: First Place - Joan Willenborg

Congratuations to all winners and all competators!!!!

 

Honey Judging Program by Dan Wright

Dan Wright, Apiary Inspector and President of the Illiana Beekeepers Association, was our presenter for the July 9, 2012, meeting.  Dan spoke on "Preparing Your Honey for Competition".  Dan has been a beekeeper since 1967, has been entering his honey at the Illinois State Fair since the early 1970s, and has been a judge at several county fairs.

Approximately 35 members and guests were in attendance at our July meeting.

You can download Dan's handouts at this link:
http://www.quicksall.net/HoneyJudging-2012-07-09.pdf

Next month's meeting on August 13th will be our annual honey tasting competition for our local beekeepers.  Dan Wright will be our official judge, and all in attendance will get to sample and judge for themselves who has the best honey!

Next Meeting is July 9th

Good Morning Crossroads Beekeepers!!!

July 9th Meeting

The Crossroads Beekeepers will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, July 9th, at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham. Please enter through the west doors and go downstairs.

Dan Wright, Regional Apiary Inspector with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, will be presenting on the topic of "Preparing Honey for Judging at Honey Shows". Dan began beekeeping in 1967, has been an apiary inspector since 1972, a past Director of the Illinois State Beekeepers Association, and is the current President of the Illiana Beekeepers Association. In addition, he has been active in showing honey at the Illinois State Fair since the early 1970s and has judged several honey shows at county fairs. During his presentation, Dan will be explaining how to prepare all types of honey for judging at both the local and state level.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at the next meeting......p.s. the meeting place has air conditioning!!!

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Keep an eye on your bees during this hot weather.

*** Do they have a water source?

*** Do they have enough food stores during this drought?

*** Do they have adequate ventilation in their hive?

*** And most important, DON'T OVER HEAT IN YOUR BEE SUIT!!!!!

Eleanor Balson Speaks at June 11th Meeting

We had a great meeting tonight with approximately 42 people in attendance to hear Eleanor Balson give a presentation on the health of bees and the pests and diseases that can hurt them.

Next Meeting is June 11th

The Crossroads Beekeepers will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, June 11th, at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham. Please enter through the west doors and go downstairs.

Eleanor Balson, Regional Apiary Inspector with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, will be our presenter. Eleanor will be speaking on the topic of pests and diseases that impact honey bees. The mild winter and early spring not only impacted the behaviors of honey bees but also organisms that hurt bees and their colonies. Eleanor will explain how to recognize the most common pests and diseases and what beekeepers can do to effectively treat them.

As always, the general public is invited to attend.

For more information about the Crossroads Beekeepers contact Larry Quicksall at 217-347-5937 or visit their website at http://CrossroadsBeekeepers.blogspot.com.

Great Meeting Tonight!

We had a great club meeting tonight.  Our speaker was Mark Dyers who spoke on various methods for raising queen bees.  Mark brought various pieces of equipment to demonstrate how to set up starter and finishing hives, as well as various options for mating nucs. 

Club members also talked about the number of swarm calls that many have been receiving in recent weeks.  5 club members have captured over 10 swarms so far!

We also have three new club members join tonight: Michelle Barnick from Cowden, Ryan Spencer from Arcola, and JoAn Baker from Neoga.  Let's welcome our new members to the hive!!!

Next months meeting will be on Monday, June 11, 2012, and Eleanor Balson, State of Illinois Apiary Inspector, will be presenting on Bee Diseases and Pests.  Bee sure and mark your calenders for the next meeting!

May 14th Meeting

The next meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers will be on Monday, May 14, 2012, at 6:30pm in the basement of the University of Illinois Extention Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham. 

Mark Dyers, beekeeper from rural Watson, will be presenting on the topics of raising queen bees.  This is a topic that every beekeeper, small or large, needs to understand.

Coming in June: Eleanor Balson on Bee Pests and Diseases.

Swarm Busters List (repost)

Swarm Busters!

Below is a link to the names and numbers

of area beekeepers who will be glad

to rescue a swarm from your property

and place them in a nice, safe hive.

http://www.quicksall.net/swarmbusters.pdf

Beekeeping on WEIU

Yesterday, May 6th, Heartland Highways on WEIU (Dish and RFD-TV) featured the Central Eastern Illinois Beekeepers Association. If you didn't happen to watch it, check it out on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlP9IWzTcmo

Swarm Photos

Please send in your swarm photos for display on the blog. 

Below is one I captured off of a bench seat near Dexter on Thursday.

I received an email from John Timmons with the Three Rivers Beekeepers in St. Charles, Missouri, letting our club know about a 2-Day Queen Rearing Workshop taking place in May.  Below is the information if anyone in the club is interested in a detailed program on Queen Rearing.

Also, our very own Mark Dyers will be presenting on Queen Rearing at our next Crossroads Beekeepers club meeting on Monday, May 14th.  So, if Mark's presentation wets your appetite for more information on Queen Rearing, then this workshop might be for you.

------------------------------

The 2012 Three Rivers Beekeepers Queen Rearing Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 19th through Sunday, May 20th. Classroom instruction will be held at the University of Missouri Extension Center in St. Peters, as well as hands-on instruction at our club apiary location in O’Fallon, Missouri, about a ten minute drive from the Extension Center.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER …

We’re very pleased to include as our main instructors for the workshop Cory Stevens, Grant Gillard and Stu Jacobson - all seasoned queen rearing veterans with proven track records raising queens. Click here to learn more about our instructors.
This course is jam-packed with need-to-know queen rearing instruction, including:

• Honey Bee Genetics … What You Need to Know As a Small-Scale Queen Producer
• What You Need to Know About Selecting a Breeder Queen
• Cell Production Biology
• The Equipment You’ll Need for a Small-Scale Operation
• Setting Up a Starter Colony
• Grafting the Right Way
• The Nicot Queen Rearing System
• The Cell Punch Method
• The Miller Method
• Setting Up a Finishing Colony
• Simplified Queen Rearing Using the Cloake Board
• Using Mating Nucs
• Backyard “Minimalist” Techniques for Raising a Few Queens

… and much, much more!
NOTE: A detailed agenda and time schedule will be available on this page soon.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER …

The registration fee for the workshop is $85 per person. So that we can provide an effective hands-on environment with lots of one-on-one instruction, we will limit the class size to thirty-five (35).
This is an intensive queen rearing workshop with hands-on instruction. As such, it is designed for those with at least one year of beekeeping experience and a commitment to producing queens for themselves, or for others. If you are a new beekeeper with an interest in queen rearing, yet little experience with your bees, be patient, another queen rearing workshop is planned for this time next year.
The 2012 TRB Queen Rearing Workshop is the first in a series of classes designed as part of the TRB Nuc and Queen Initiative. Those signed up for the Initiative and wanting to contribute queens to the Initiative in the future, should seriously consider participating in this workshop.
Registration will remain open until Thursday, May 17^th, or until registration is filled.

Spring Swarms!

Bees Are Swarming!  This past Friday a swarm was seen at Effingham City Hall where it moved from a holly bush to a nice warm Hummer parked in the lot.  Jonathan Donaldson captured them and was able to get his first hive going!  The Effingham Daily News also appeared on the scene interviewing Jonathan about beekeeping and he gave a very nice plug for our club.  The next day I received a swarm call from northeast of Effingham, and Dawn Quicksall retrieved a swarm that was hanging on a 5-bottom plow.  Yesterday Alan Shumaker retrieved a swarm way up in a tree for a lady in Altamont making her very happy to get rid of the bees.

Have any other club members been getting swarm calls?  If so, leave comments below, and if you have photos of the swarms please email them to me, so I can post them on the club website!

Below is Jonathan Donaldson working with the swarm at Effingham City Hall.

Below is Dawn Quicksall capturing the Silver Lake Swarm

April 9th Meeting Summary

The Crossroads Beekeepers held their monthly meeting on Monday, April 9th, in the U of I Extension Center in Effingham.  We had an excellent turn-out of 54 people including several first-timers.  Dave Dhom, beekeeper from Newton, was the speaker and covered the topics of preventing swarms in your hives, capturing swarms in the wild, and making cut comb honey.  In addition, the winner of the club's 50/50 drawing was Alan Bell of Mason, and the winner of the booklet on making cut comb honey was Barb Brayfield of Effingham.

Our next meeting will be on Monday, May 14th, at 6:30pm in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham.  The speaker will be Mark Dyers, beekeeper from Watson, who will be speaking on the topic of raising queens.  Mark will cover various methods of queen rearing, whether you just need a couple emergency queens or if you want to have enough to sell.

Larry also announced the the Swarm Busters list, which includes club members available for swarm capture, is available for download at http://www.quicksall.net/swarmbusters.pdf.

April 9th Meeting

The next meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers will be on Monday, April 9, 2012, at 6:30pm in the basement of the University of Illinois Extention Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, Effingham.  Dave Dhom, beekeeper from Newton, will be presenting on the topics of capturing bee swarms, producing comb honey, and queen cells and their meaning.

Who are you going to call

when a swarm of bees is

hanging on your tree? 

Swarm Busters!

Below is a link to the names and numbers

of area beekeepers who will be glad

to rescue a swarm from your property

and place them in a nice, safe hive.

http://www.quicksall.net/swarmbusters.pdf

Monday Night Meeting

The next meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers will take place on Monday, March 12, in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N Wenthe, Effingham, beginning at 6:30pm.

Larry Quicksall, beekeeper from Effingham, will be our presenter for the evening, and he will be covering the topics of spring feeding, supplimental protein for brood development, installing package bees, splitting hives, and using swarm boxes to catch wild swarms. The presentation will include demonstrations and video.

CB Member Visits Pollinatarium

Aaron Quicksall, youth member of the Crossroads Beekeepers, visited the Pollinatarium at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign over this past weekend and had the opportunity to meet and talk with Lesley Deem, PhD who is the Director of the facility.  He reports having a facinating time looking around the Pollinatarium and learning about their bee research projects including a small indoor observation hive that has been making it through the winter with only around a dozen bees.  In addition to the research projects, they have a museum with old beekeeping equipment from days gone by. 

The Pollinatarium is located at 606 W. Windsor Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801.  You can contact them by email uibees@life.uiuc.edu.

For more information on the Pollinatarium, visit their website at
http://www.life.illinois.edu/pollinatarium

Also, if you follow this link you will find a brief slide show with narration about the life of a U of I beekeeper.  http://multi.media.illinois.edu/ng/soundslides/Beekeeper/Bees/Bees.html

Club field trip, anyone???

ISBA Summer Meeting Set

Save the Date!!!

Illinois State Beekeepers Association

Summer Meeting

Vandalia, Illinois

Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Illinois State Beekeepers Association will hold their Summer Meeting, hosted by the St. Clair Beekeepers Association, on Saturday, June 30, 2012, at Kaskaskia College in Vandalia, Illinois.  Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m., and the program will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Our keynote speaker is Dr. Dewey M. Caron, Emeritus Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, and Affiliate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University.  Dr. Caron has dedicated 45 years to observing, measuring, learning, teaching and writing about bees and is the author of five beekeeping books including “Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping”.

Ms. Kathleen Prough, Chief Apiary Inspector for the State of Indiana, will also speak at the Summer Meeting.  Ms. Prough is doing nationwide research with other State Apiarists to determine the health of honeybee colonies and the presence or absence of particular problems in hives.

Registration for the meeting is $20.00 per person,
and a catered lunch is available for $10.00 per person. 

Registrations can be sent to the Public Information Officer of the St. Clair Beekeepers Association, Kevin Gerstenecker, 208 Hazel Street, Troy, IL, 62294.  Kevin can be reached at kgersty@gmail.com or (618) 795-4633. 

Please join us for this memorable meeting.

Next Meeting on March 12

The next meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers will take place on Monday, March 12, in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N Wenthe, Effingham, beginning at 6:30pm.

Larry Quicksall, beekeeper from Effingham, will be our presenter for the evening, and he will be covering the topics of spring feeding, supplimental protein for brood development, installing package bees, splitting hives, and using swarm boxes to catch wild swarms.  The presentation will include demonstrations and video.

The general public is invited to attend.  For more information about the Crossroads Beekeepers contact Larry Quicksall at 217-347-5937.

February Meeting

The Crossroads Beekeepers had a great meeting in spite of the snow fall. We had 33 in attendance and gained several new members pushing our membership over 80.

Mike Bensley, beekeeper from Strasburg, was our speaker addressing the topics of Emergency Feeding, Mite Control, Indicators of Swarming, and Swarm Control.  In the below photo, Mike is showing how he uses a zip lock bag with sugar water for winter emergency feeding.

In addition, Dave Dhom presented Larry Quicksall with the Crossroads Beekeepers First Annual Beekeeper of the Year Award for his efforts at getting the Crossroads Beekeepers started and for promoting beekeeping in Central Illinois.  The below photo is of Dave Dhom (left) and Lance Fulk (right) presenting Larry Quicksall with the award.

Next Meeting - Monday, February 13

The next meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers will be on Monday, February 13, 2012, at 6:30pm in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center.  The public is welcome to attend. 

Mike Bensley, beekeeper from Strasburg, will be our presenter.  Mike will be teaching on the topics of Emergency Feeding, Mite Control, Indicators of Swarming, and Swarm Control. 

For more information on the Crossroads Beekeepers contact Larry Quicksall at 217-347-5937.

2012 Bee School BIG SUCCESS!

What a fantistic first bee school conducted by the Crossroads Beekeepers.  We had to cut off registration a week before, but we had right at about 100 people total, of which 70 were participants.  A quick poll during the opening session showed that nearly all the participants were new to beekeeping. 

Our presenters included:

• Larry Quicksall on Welcome to Beekeeping
• Rich Ramsey, Vice President, and Mike Mason, Treasurer, of the Illinois State Beekeepers Association, spoke on the ISBA and benefits of membership.
• Lonnie Langley on Beekeeping Basics
• Mark Dyer on Honey Bee Biology
• Lisa Dhom on Getting Bees
• Dave Dhom on Hive Management
• Eleanor Balson on Pests and Diseases

Many club members set up educational displays including:

• Len Chandler on Antique Bee Equipment
• Larry Quicksall on Bee Photos
• Cindy Horton on Nectar & Pollen Plants
• John Killough and Rick Russell on Top Bar Hives
• John Killough and John Michl on Bee Vacuums

In addition, Other club members were involved in very important tasks for the school:

• Cathy Chandler for the Mentoring Program
• Eleanor Balson and her team for set-up and break-down
• Dawn Quicksall and her team for registration
• Dave Crocket and Cindy Horton for Kitchen & Refreshments
• Dave & Lisa Dhom on packet assembly
• Lance Fulk as treasurer
• And all those who pitched in to help along the way!

Below are a few of the photos from the bee school....more photos will be posted later.

Below is John Killough's Top-Bar Hive Display along with his bee vaccuum.

Below is Rick Russell's Top-Bar Hive that he made and sold at the school.

Below is Cindy Horton's Disply on Nectar and Pollen Plants including seed samples.

Lots of conversations and examining the various displays.

Below is John Michl teaching about his home made bee vacuum.

Below, "Big T" Tim Lindley teaches on bees and beekeeping at his vendor booth.

Jason Weaver and his daughter at his vendor booth selling cypress hive woodenware.

Cathy Chandler, the club's Mentor Coordinator, signed up several "NewBees" into our new Mentor Program linking new beekeepers with experienced mentors.

Below, Jan & Scott with Isabees keeping busy supplying school participants with the tools and supplies for successful beekeeping.

Dave Dhom teaching on Hive Management.

Eleanor Balson teaching on pests and diseases.

Mark Dyer teaching on Bee Biology.

Lisa Dhom teaching on how to get your bees.

The basement was packed to capacity!

Below is Franklin Schwartz who won the 5 frame nuc donated by John Michl.

Below is Sandy Elam who won the cypress hive donated by Jason Weaver.

More photos and information about the school to come.....

BEE SCHOOL IS CLOSED!!!

Because of the incredible interest in our 2012 Bee School, we have reached capacity and are unable to take anymore registrations. 

Thanks so much for everyone's interest in our first school.  If you were not able to get in but still want to attend a bee school this spring, a very good school is sponsored by the Audubon Beekeepers Association and is being held on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Henderson KY.  Here is the link to this school:
http://www.kyagr.com/statevet/bees/bee%20schools/KYBeeSchoolHenderson.htm

If you were not able to get into our school, you can still attend our next bee club meeting on Monday, February 13, 2012, at 6:30pm in the basement of the U of I Extension Center, 1209 N Wenthe, Effingham.

54 People Signed Up for Bee School

We are very excited about the interest in the Crossroads Beekeepers 2012 Bee School.  At the close of pre-registration we have 54 participants!  In addition, we have 21 club members volunteering to make this bee school a great one!

We still have room for a few more students, so if you are thinking about attending then get your registration form and fees sent in ASAP.  For $30.00 you get 5 speakers, handouts, copy of "First Lessons in Beekeeping" book, educational display tables, mentoring program, catered chicken and ham dinner from Niemerg's Steakhouse, 3 venders selling bee supplies on-site, lots of door prizes including a starter hive, nuc of bees, feeders, journal subscriptions, and tools, and the opportunity to join the fastest growing bee club in the state of Illinois!

The 2012 Bee School will take place on Saturday, February 4th, from 8am-4pm at the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N Wenthe, Effingham IL.  Space is limited!  Only a few spaces left!

As of 1/29/2012, the bee school is CLOSED to any more participants...we have reached capacity!

Informational flyer and registration form for the bee school is available at: http://www.quicksall.net/2012EffinghamBeeSchool.pdf

Club Meeting - January 9

The next meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers will be on Monday, January 9, at 6:30pm in the basement of the University of Illinois Extension Center, 1209 N. Wenthe, in Effingham. 

Lonnie Langley, beekeeper from Bluff City, will present on Bee Nutrition and Winter Assessments. 

We will also review final plans for the upcoming bee school on Saturday, February 4th. 

As of 1/29/2012, the bee school is CLOSED to any more participants...we have reached capacity!

Information and registration form for the bee school is available at: http://www.quicksall.net/2012EffinghamBeeSchool.pdf