Holiday Meeting

Tomorrow, Monday December 14 is our Holiday meeting.  It will be held at the U of I extension at 6:30 pm. We will be sharing snacks, visiting, & discussing bee school.  We will also announce & award Bee Keeper of the Year!!  As always it is free & open to the public.  Please bring a snack to share. Lonnie Langley has negotiated a deal with Mann Lake for a bulk discount supplies order to be shipped to Bluff City after 1/20/16. Any club member may participate. Each individual order will be packed and labeled with the persons name and then placed on a palletized load which will be unloaded at Bluff Equipment in Bluff City. Each person will be responsible for picking up their own order during business hours within a couple of days. 1. Orders must be placed between 1/4/16 and 1/15/16. (899-880-7694) 2. At Mann Lake, talk to Ed or Andy and reference the Langley bulk order. 3. You are charged for your order when it is placed. (Pay pal, credit, debit) 4. No minimum order and you get a 12% DISCOUNT. 5. Your order will be boxed and labeled as part of the bulk order. 6. We will notify everybody when the order is in via email. 7. Questions or more details at the December meeting. This is a great chance for people with small orders to get a good discount if you are willing to coordinate the pick up in a timely manner. Merry Christmas

November 9th Meeting

Our November meeting is tomorrow.  November 9th at 6:30 pm at the U of I extension in Effingham.  It is free and open to the public.  The hive wrap insulation is in.  If you ordered some, please plan to pick it up & pay for it if you haven't already.  Also, if you placed in the honey competition & missed the last meeting, we have your award certificate.  Please feel free to invite friends & bring a snack to share.  We look forward to seeing you.

HONEY COMPETITION RESULTS

***CROSSROADS BEEKEEPERS 2015 HONEY COMPETITION RESULTS***

LIGHT HONEY
     1ST - JOHN KILLOUGH                          100%
     2ND - RICK & NELDA CAMPBELL         94%
     3RD - SCOTT CARTER                              93%
 
AMBER HONEY
     1ST - MATT GRUELL           99%
     2ND - SCOTT CARTER        95%
     3RD - SCOTT CARTER        87%
 
DARK HONEY
      1ST - DAVE & LISA DHOM     92%
      2ND - RICK RUSSELL             87%
      3RD - DAVE & LISA DHOM    85%
 
COMB HONEY
     1ST - SCOTT CARTER                                97%
     2ND - MATT GRUELL                                 93%
     3RD - RICK & NELDA CAMPBELL           90%
 
OTHER (HONEY PRODUCTS & NON COMPETITION JARS)
     1ST - LINDA DEAN
     1ST - SCOTT CARTER
     1ST - DAVE & LISA DHOM
 
BAKED GOODS CONTAINING HONEY
     1ST - NELDA CAMPBELL
     2ND - BEV CRAWFORD

There were 27 total entries.  Liquid honey was judged on moisture content, froth, clarity, froth, and taste.  Comb honey was judged on color, cappings, and quality of comb.  Awards percentages & winners are posted above.  Thank you to Larry Roth & Danny Wright for judging.  Thank you also to everyone who participated.  Congratulations to our winners.

Last Minute Reminder October Meeting

Just a quick last minute reminder that our October meeting is tomorrow, Monday the 12th at 6:30p.m. at the U of I extension in Effingham, IL.  It is free & open to the public.  Everyone is welcome to come & bring a friend.  Please bring a snack to share. 

Dave Koenigstein & Rick Campbell will be demonstrating winter hive prep.

We will also be taking nominations for 2016 officers & handing out awards from the honey competition.

We hope to see you there.

FAMILY DAY AT BALLARD NATURE CENTER

FAMILY DAY AT BALLARD NATURE CENTER

Honeybee Program
September 12, 2015 at 9 a.m.
Presented by Crossroads Beekeepers
Family Program
Five fun learning and hands-on stations.
Free and open to the public
Donations welcomed
5253 E HWY 40 Altamont, IL 62411

If anyone would like to volunteer to help, please show up at 7:30 am.  Thank you.

REMINDER
Monday September 14th 6:30 pm
Regular monthly meeting
U of I extension Effingham, IL
Winterizing/Fall Feeding/Mite Treatment
Please bring a friend & snack to share

 

Honey Competition & September Meeting

Hello Everyone!!  Hope this finds you with the bees buzzing and the honey flowing.  Your officers met Aug 3rd to discuss the honey competition and events for the remainder of the year.  We have some exciting meetings in store & hope you'll attend, participate, & help out.

First things first. 

August 10th will be our meeting date and honey competition.  We'll be at the U of I extension in Effingham at 6:30 p.m.  Please feel free to bring friends & snacks to share. 

*****Honey Competition****


Categories for the honey competition will be:
           Light
           Medium Amber
           Dark Amber
           Comb Honey

Liquid honey must be in 1# queen line glass jars to be eligible for judging.

 Everyone will be invited to taste the honey after judging has taken place. 

****Honey Products Competition****

We would also like to invite you to participate in a honey products competition.

Bring your best baked goods made with honey as an ingredient.  

1 - copy of the recipe for the judges is required to be eligible for judging.

Everyone will be invited to taste the goodies after judging has taken place.  

If you plan to participate in either competition please plan to arrive a little early to sign competition entry forms. 

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place certificates will be awarded in each honey category & overall for baked goods.  Winners will be announced immediately following judging.  Certificates will be given at the September meeting.

While judging is taking place we will discuss honey labeling, presentation & adulteration & watch a short video about honey.

We had hoped to open this years event to the public.  However, getting the proper permits etc.... proved to be more difficult than we anticipated.  We have a good start on next years competition & still plan future expansion. 

Upcoming Events

September will be a "beesy" month.

September 12th We will be hosting a Family Field Day at Ballard Nature Center in Altamont.  We will need volunteers for the following:
     - to help with short (15-20 min) bee related presentations for children & their families.
     - to be attendants at a welcome station/booth with our clubs info

We will have a sign up sheet at the August meeting & I will post more detailed info. shortly. 

September 14th Will be our regular monthly meeting.  We will discuss winterizing, fall feeding, and mite treatment.  

We look forward to seeing you at these events!!  

Upcoming Meeting & Events

Hi Everyone,

Hope this finds your bees doing well & surviving the summer heat!!

Just a reminder that our next meeting is Aug 10th at 6:30 pm @ the U of I extension in Effingham.  It's free & open to the public.  We're still working out the details of the honey competition & will post details as soon as they're all ironed out.

Please feel free to bring a friend.

Hope to see you there!!

Michelle

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone.  Hope you enjoyed some fireworks, time with family and friends, & took some time to reflect on the significance of the day.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the ISBA summer meeting.  We appreciate your help & hope you enjoyed the day & learned a lot.  

Just a reminder that our next meeting is Monday July 13th at 6:30 p.m.  Dave will be presenting on European Foul Brood.  Please feel free to bring a friend & a snack to share.  The more the merrier.

If you have ideas or suggestions concerning the upcoming honey tasting & contest we'd love to hear them. 

Happy Beekeeping!!
Michelle

REMINDER:

Reminder: The ISBA summer meeting is this weekend.  The deadline for preregistration has passed.  However, you can still come & participate.  Please see below for details.  If you would like to help w/ our clubs responsibilities for the day, beverage pick up, meal pick up, trash, & water jugs, we will be meeting at the park between 7 & 7:30 am to divide & conquer any & all help is welcome.  If you have a large water jug we can borrow please bring it.  Thank you. ISBA Summer Meeting:   ~Sign up for lunch and dinner! (Please Read the Blurb Below) ~Bake a batch of morning snacks for an extra chance to win door prizes, raffles, and enter your baked goods in the "Made with Honey" Baking Contest. (Please Read the Blurb Below)   Here is the link to info about the summer meeting, and the registration form:   http://www.ilsba.com/summary-of-events.html   June 27, 2015  -  ISBA Annual Summer Meeting                             Evergreen Hollow Park,  Brown Pavilion                             1110 Pelican Street,  Effingham, IL The registration form should be postmarked by June 15, 2015 if you are including a meal with the registration.    Walk in registrations for the Summer Meeting will be accepted, but a meal may not be available.  There will be live colonies onsite for various demonstrations, so please remember to bring your veil or any other protective equipment with you if you plan to take part in the apiary sessions. After the meeting concludes,  an Evening Dinner/Jamboree will commence.   The cost for the Evening Event is $6 and the meal is included (BBQ & Fried Chicken).   For those coming a long distance, one of the motels you can reserve at room at can be found at the below link: Lexington Inn and Suites - Effingham, IL   The Baker’s Challenge "The Baker's Challenge ~ Mid-Morning Snack Buffet" All attendees are invited to participate in “The Baker's Challenge.” It is a beekeepers' tradition in Southern Illinois to create a pot-luck refreshment table with as many homemade items as we can. We are extending an invitation to all who are attending to participate in the Baker's Challenge. An extra door prize ticket will be awarded to those who bring a dozen muffins, a dozen cookies, a cake or similar item. If you want to further increase your chances of winning a door prize, bake more! For every batch of a dozen muffins or cookies, you will get another door prize ticket. Items baked with honey are eligible for the 'Made With Honey' Bakers Competition, which will be judged and awarded at the mid-morning break."     Evening Picnic/Jamboree   The Evening Picnic and Jamboree will be held onsite following the Summer Meeting. Stay and enjoy live performances from beekeeper-musicians Rog n Bob, and Kent Williams. Enjoy another delicious buffet meal (Fried Chicken & BBQ Pork, sides and drinks included) for $6 per person   Thank you! Hope to see you at the ISBA Summer Meeting! -Eleanor The 2015 HAS convention is in Michigan July 9-11.  For details please visit. http://www.heartlandbees.org Crossroads Beekeepers: Our next meeting will be July 13th at the U of I extension in Effingham at 6:30 pm.  It is free & open to the public.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  Please bring a snack to share. Our honey tasting & competition is rapidly approaching.  We would like to open it to the public & invite other clubs to participate.  If you have ideas/connections regarding this event or its location, we'd like to hear from you.  We would like to have vendors but keep it specifically honey, bees, and hive products. We look forward to seeing you at the ISBA summer meeting & at the next CBA meeting. Happy Beekeeping!!

ISBA Summer Meeting

Hello Beekeepers!!!  I got the e-mail below from Eleanor and she asked me to share it with you.  We hope to see you at the summer meeting.

Happy Beekeeping!!

Michelle

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Eleanor Schumacher" <bubblebubb@gmail.com>
Date: Jun 15, 2015 2:50 PM
Subject: Illinois State Beekeepers Association Summer Meeting, June 27th - Register today!
To: "Eleanor Schumacher" <bubblebubb@gmail.com>
Cc:

Hello Beekeepers,

Just a note that today is the last day to sign up for meals at the ISBA Summer Meeting. If you are planning on coming, but don't have time to send in your registration today, you are still welcome to attend, but will not have a meal ticket. (If you miss this deadline, but still send your registration in this week, you can still sign up for meals, if you call Eleanor - I can try to arrange it).

~Sign up for lunch and dinner! (Please Read the Blurb Below)

~Bake a batch of morning snacks for an extra chance to win door prizes, raffles, and enter your baked goods in the "Made with Honey" Baking Contest. (Please Read the Blurb Below)

Here is the link to info about the summer meeting, and the registration form:

http://www.ilsba.com/summary-of-events.html

June 27, 2015  -  ISBA Annual Summer Meeting
                            Evergreen Hollow Park,  Brown Pavilion
                            1110 Pelican Street,  Effingham, IL

The registration form should be postmarked by June 15, 2015 if you are including a meal with the registration.    Walk in registrations for the Summer Meeting will be accepted, but a meal may not be available.  

There will be live colonies onsite for various demonstrations, so please remember to bring your veil or any other protective equipment with you if you plan to take part in the apiary sessions.

After the meeting concludes,  an Evening Dinner/Jamboree will commence.   The cost for the Evening Event is $6 and the meal is included (BBQ & Fried Chicken).  
For those coming a long distance, one of the motels you can reserve at room at can be found at the below link:

Lexington Inn and Suites - Effingham, IL

The Baker’s Challenge

"The Baker's Challenge ~ Mid-Morning Snack Buffet"

All attendees are invited to participate in “The Baker's Challenge.”

It is a beekeepers' tradition in Southern Illinois to create a pot-luck refreshment table with as many homemade items as we can.

We are extending an invitation to all who are attending to participate in the Baker's Challenge. An extra door prize ticket will be awarded to those who bring a dozen muffins, a dozen cookies, a cake or similar item. If you want to further increase your chances of winning a door prize, bake more!

For every batch of a dozen muffins or cookies, you will get another door prize ticket. Items baked with honey are eligible for the 'Made With Honey' Bakers Competition, which will be judged and awarded at the mid-morning break."

Evening Picnic/Jamboree

The Evening Picnic and Jamboree will be held onsite following the Summer Meeting. Stay and enjoy live performances from beekeeper-musicians Rog n Bob, and Kent Williams. Enjoy another delicious buffet meal (Fried Chicken & BBQ Pork, sides and drinks included) for $6 per person

Thank you! Hope to see you at the ISBA Summer Meeting!

-Eleanor

June Meeting & Upcoming Events

Hello Beekeepers!!  I hope this finds your summer and your beekeeping going well. 

Just a reminder that our meeting will be tomorrow, Monday June 8th, at the U of I extension in Effingham at 6:30 pm.  Please feel free to bring a guest and or a snack to share. 

Eleanor Schumacher, State of IL hive inspector, will be speaking on the topic of her choice.  She has experience with Africanized Bees & has recently presented on prairie restoration, European Foul Brood, and Queen bees.  She is a wealth of knowledge.

Dave will also have the jars available if you are planning to participate in the honey judging contest.  We would like to have all entries submitted in uniform jars. 

REMINDER:

The 2015 ISBA Annual Summer Meeting will be on June 27, 2015 in Effingham, Illinois.    The registration form and agenda for the 2015 Summer meeting are posted on the ISBA website at the below link and will also be included as inserts in the ISBA Bulletin being mailed to you

http://www.ilsba.com/summary-of-events.html

Scroll down to the June 27, 2015 date under the Downstate listings.

Registrations which include a meal reservation must be postmarked by June 15, 2015.   Walk in registrations will be accepted on the day of the event, but a ticket for the meal will not be available.

The 2015 Summer Meeting is being hosted by several Southern Region ISBA affiliated beekeeping associations.   The meeting this year will be an outdoor venue.  The shelter/pavilion can accommodate up to 150 attendees.

If you signed up to help w/ this event, we'll need to touch base with you concerning this.  Thank you. 

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!!

May Meeting Reminder & Upcoming Events

Happy Mothers Day everyone!!  We hope you enjoyed the day & were able to enjoy time and celebrate the special women in your life.

Reminder that the monthly meeting for May is tomorrow, Monday the 11th at 6:30 pm at the U of I extension.

Dave will be bringing the new extraction equipment.  He will talk about what it is and how to use it.  If you are a dues paid member, use of the equipment is included in your membership.  There will be an instruction sheet & contract to sign for those who check out and use the equipment.  We ask that you treat it gently & with respect & return it in a timely fashion, clean & in good working condition.

There will also be a summary about swarm controls.  Tis the season.

The ISBA Board met in Springfield, and have invited the Southern Illinois beekeepers clubs to participate in creating and hosting the Summer Meeting. 

Here are the details:

When: Saturday, June 27th, 2015

Where: The Brown Pavilion at Effingham Community Park, East Temple Avenue, Effingham, IL 62401 - this pavilion holds 100 -150 people.

Link to park website:   http://www.effinghamparkdistrict.org/facilities/pavilions.aspx  

The park on Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Community+Park/@39.12501,-88.532965,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x8873976b5c6cafdd:0xd785d4ef88b9e48 

Who will speak?: Mark Antunes, prior president of Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association, who will present on "The Irradiation of Bee Hives for Sterilization". 

Catering: Niemerg's Steak House – pick up. Please look at their delicious menu: http://niemergssteakhouse.com/wordpress/?page_id=1990 >

Crossroads Beekeepers will be taking care of hospitality for the attendees.
We will be in charge of refreshments and drinking water, picking up the catering and placement and disposal of garbage bags, etc.

We hope if you joined us for bee school that we'll continue to see you at the monthly meetings.  If you've recently joined or been a member for a while thank you for your continued support.

Happy Beekeeping!!

Apiary Field Day Rescheduled

The Apiary Field Day has been rescheduled for Sunday April 26th.   Apiary tour times are 1:00 p.m & 2:30 p.m to ensure everyone can see what's going on & that there is plenty of parking. We will be looking inside the hive, observing techniques on how to work your hives, what to watch for inside the hive, queen marking, smoker lighting, & more. Veil required.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates: 39.278976, -88.564279
Link for Map Quest Directions: http://mapq.st/1CAzNJg

From U of I Extension in Effingham:
1. Leave U of I Ext. going S on Wenthe Dr. (.2mi)
2. Turn Right onto Evergreen Ave. (.3mi)
3. Turn Right onto Keller Dr/IL Rte 32/33 (3.8mi)
4. Turn Right on IL Rte 32 going N towards Stewardson (7.7mi)
5. Turn Right on CR 400, which is .6 mi N of the Stewardson Citgo Gas Station. (2.9mi)
6. Turn Left on 3100 E (.4mi)
7. Turn Left at the top of the hill by the mail boxes and bee hives.
You're at Quicksall Farm.

From Casey's General Store in Neoga:
1. Go S from Casey's on Rte 45 (3.6mi)
2. Turn Right onto the Centerline Rd, which is CR 400 N (4.8mi)
3. Turn Right onto 3100N (.4mi)
4. Turn Left at the top of the hill by the mail boxes and bee hives.
You're at Quicksall Farm.
Emergency Ph # if you're lost: 217-347-5937
Watch here for updates/cancellations in case of rain. We will reschedule. Hope to see you there!!

Field Day Reminder

Tomorrow, April 19th, is the field day. Apiary tour times are 1:00 p.m & 2:30 p.m to ensure everyone can see what's going on & that there is plenty of parking. We will be looking inside the hive, observing techniques on how to work your hives, what to watch for inside the hive, queen marking, smoker lighting, & more. Veil required.

DIRECTIONS:

GPS Coordinates: 39.278976, -88.564279
Link for Map Quest Directions: http://mapq.st/1CAzNJg

From U of I Extension in Effingham:
1. Leave U of I Ext. going S on Wenthe Dr. (.2mi)
2. Turn Right onto Evergreen Ave. (.3mi)
3. Turn Right onto Keller Dr/IL Rte 32/33 (3.8mi)
4. Turn Right on IL Rte 32 going N towards Stewardson (7.7mi)
5. Turn Right on CR 400, which is .6 mi N of the Stewardson Citgo Gas Station. (2.9mi)
6. Turn Left on 3100 E (.4mi)
7. Turn Left at the top of the hill by the mail boxes and bee hives.
You're at Quicksall Farm.

From Casey's General Store in Neoga:
1. Go S from Casey's on Rte 45 (3.6mi)
2. Turn Right onto the Centerline Rd, which is CR 400 N (4.8mi)
3. Turn Right onto 3100N (.4mi)
4. Turn Left at the top of the hill by the mail boxes and bee hives.
You're at Quicksall Farm.
Emergency Ph # if you're lost: 217-347-5937
Watch here for updates/cancellations in case of rain. We will reschedule. Hope to see you there!!

Also, the extractor kit has been ordered.  It will be at the May meeting so everyone will have a chance to check it out. 

Upcoming Events

REMINDER:
The final session of bee school is April 13th at  6:30p.m.  Dave Dhom will be presenting.  The subject will be "Your first year of beekeeping."  A short survey will be passed out so you can share your thoughts and opinions about bee school.  We want to make sure we're meeting your needs and continue to grow.  You may turn it in after the field day.

The regular club meeting topic will be "Splits" presented by Don Bennet.

There will be a sign up sheet for members who would like to help with the ISBA summer meeting June 27th.  Dues paying members will also be asked to vote on the purchase of some big ticket items for club use.

BEE SCHOOL FIELD DAY:

Will be held Sun April 19th at Larry Quicksall's farm.  We will run two groups through the bee yard.  One group at 1pm and one group at 2:30 pm.  A sign up sheet will be available at the meeting Apr 13th  for you to reserve your time.  We're running two groups to ensure everyone gets the most out of their experience.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT:

Veil and gloves.

TOPICS COVERED:

Gear, smoker lighting, checking your hives, making splits, marking and clipping,

IN CASE OF RAIN:

New date will be announced.

Directions will be forthcoming via Larry.

GENERAL UPDATES:

Officers meeting was held April 6th.  We discussed the final day of bee school and field day, upcoming club meeting topics and activities.

June 27th:  ISBA Summer Meeting.
July 13th:  Honey Extraction
Aug 10th:  Honey Competition.  We would like to make this a bigger event and open it to other clubs and the public.
Sept 12th:  Family Field Day at Ballard Nature Center.  Open to the public.

We will be asking for help with the Aug 10th and Sept 12th events.  Stay tuned for volunteer sign ups.

We hope to see you at the next meeting.  It is free and open to the public. 

Upcoming Events

Reminder:  Our next meeting is Monday, March 9th at 6:30 p.m. at the U of I Extension in Effingham.  The public is welcome to attend and there is no charge.  The regular meeting will cover spring hive preparation.  It will also be our 3rd session of bee school.  Lisa Dohm will cover getting and feeding your first bees.

Crossroads Beekeepers has some exciting events in the works for 2015.


The ISBA Board met in Springfield, and have invited the Southern Illinois beekeepers clubs to participate in creating and hosting the Summer Meeting.  

Here are the details:

When: Saturday, June 27th, 2015

Where: The Brown Pavilion at Effingham Community Park, East Temple Avenue, Effingham, IL 62401 - this pavilion holds 100 -150 people.

Link to park website:   http://www.effinghamparkdistrict.org/facilities/pavilions.aspx  

The park on Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Community+Park/@39.12501,-88.532965,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x8873976b5c6cafdd:0xd785d4ef88b9e48 

Who will speak?: Mark Antunes, prior president of Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association, who will present on "The Irradiation of Bee Hives for Sterilization". 

Catering: Niemerg's Steak House – pick up. Please look at their delicious menu: http://niemergssteakhouse.com/wordpress/?page_id=1990 >

Crossroads Beekeepers will be taking care of hospitality for the attendees. 
We will be in charge of refreshments and drinking water, picking up the catering and placement and disposal of garbage bags, etc.

We have also confirmed the date for our family field day at Ballard Nature Center in Altamont.  It will be held September 12th.  The event will be open to the community and cover a range of honey bee topics and activities.  It will be geared toward children and their families.  The details concerning time etc... will be forthcoming. 

We encourage everyone to come out and participate in these activities.  If you would like to volunteer time or resources, please let us know.  Thank you.

Bee School Day 2

Session two of Crossroads Beekeepers bee school is tomorrow night. February 9th from 6:30-8 pm at the U of I extension center in Effingham. Michelle will be covering hive components & equipment. Jason Weaver will be in attendance & will have some equipment for sale. If you purchase from him you will receive your order at the March meeting. The regular meeting will be covering bee vacs with Dave Dhom, Rick Russel, and Dave Koenigstein. We're looking forward to another good turn out!! Hope to see you there!!

Weather for January 12 Meeting & Bee School

1pm Update: I just drove the post office in Effingham, and streets are clear without any ice.  I also don't see any precipitation on the radar, so I think we are good to go for Bee School 2015 and for the January meeting of the Crossroads Beekeepers.  See you there!!! 

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

We are keeping a close eye on the weather for tonight's monthly meeting and the first night of Bee School 2015.  At 7:45am the road surface is fine with only water and no ice in town.  I cannot speak for hiways and Interstate conditions.  If we decide to cancel tonights meeting/school information about the closing will be posted at this site, on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/crossroadsbeekeepers , and on the radio at WXEF 97.9FM.

If you would like to make a post about weather conditions, please use our facebook page as it will be monitored throughout the day.