Prairie State Beekeepers - April 4, 2024
The April 4, 2024, Prairie State Beekeepers meeting will be at the Sangamon County Farm Bureau Building. Start time is 7 PM.
A map to the location of the Farm Bureau Building can be found on the Summary of Events Page.
A zoom link for the meeting will be sent to all members via the Google Group forum for those who cannot attend the meeting in person.
If you need to request (order) 1 or more packages of bees use the below link (you do not pay until you pick up the bees)
Link to 2024 Bee Package Request Form
The April 4, 2024, Prairie State Beekeepers meeting will be at the Sangamon County Farm Bureau Building. Start time is 7 PM.
A map to the location of the Farm Bureau Building can be found on the Summary of Events Page.
A zoom link for the meeting will be sent to all members via the Google Group forum for those who cannot attend the meeting in person.
If you need to request (order) 1 or more packages of bees use the below link (you do not pay until you pick up the bees)
Link to 2024 Bee Package Request Form
Tentative Agenda
- Business items to attend to (max time is 15 minutes).
- Instructions and for pickup of bee packages if they have not already arrived before the April meeting. An email will also be sent to all who have requested packages which will detail directions and who to make payment to via cash or check (no credit cards)
- Status of bee packages (price and how to order) If delivery of the bee packages have not already occurred
- Methods to make splits from overwintered colonies.
- Suggestions on when and how to super up existing colonies.
- Topics of interest such as the discussion and Q&A in the meeting indicate.
Items to check in March/April
- Check for signs of robbing (will explain the signs of robber bees at meeting)
- Remove mouse guard/entrance reducers from strong colonies.
- Keep feeding new colonies/packages which were installed on new plasticell or wax foundation until comb built out on all 10 frames. Add second deep brood box when needed
- Weather permitting, examine your colonies and plan for what you want to do in 2024 (splits/packages/additional wooden ware)
- In our area, usually before the end of March, a colony which has survived the winter has already made the decision whether it will go into survival (supercedure) mode or propagation (swarm) mode.
- Clean out any dead outs as they occur to get them ready for colony splits or package installation. Seal the entrances of the cleaned out dead outs until occupied by a colony to prevent robbing
- Weather permitting in March, switch to liquid feed. A 1 to 1 sugar to water ratio for sugar syrup. The 1 to 1 ratio is by by weight, not volume
- There are still sub freezing night time temps forecast for the first two weeks of March. If doing brood box reversals, make sure the brood pattern does not span both brood boxes. If it does, wait until mid or late March to reverse the boxes
- If overwintered in single deep brood boxes, decide whether you want to split a strong colony, add a second brood box to top, or put on a queen excluder and honey supers
- Check for signs of supercedure or swarm in each colony.
- Wondering where the bees are finding the pollen they are bringing in? Yes some trees produce pollen in the winter. Check the pollen sources by time of year on the documents page of our website
2024 PSBA Membership dues:
The membership application/renewal form can be found on the Documents page tab of the website. Bring it to the next meeting you can attend. Give your membership renewal or new membership form and payment to the Treasurer. The Treasurer will notify the Membership Secretary to renew the member for Prairie State and to advise the ISBA of the renewal. New member applications will be reviewed by the officers before the membership is approved. You can mail in your renewal to Kathy Kaesebier (Treasurer). Her contact information is below so you can email or call her to obtain her mailing address. The mailing address is also posted on the Prairie State Google Group. |
Our thanks to Jefferies Orchard
for their continued support of Prairie State Beekeepers |
Your membership entitles you to a discounted subscription rate for the American Bee Journal magazine. Bee Culture is also an excellent publication, but it does not offer a discounted subscription.
Contact Information & Officers:
Prairie State
Beekeeping Presentation Committee Chairperson & Apparel Committee Chairperson Melissa Gerard Athens, IL 217.691.2223 melmels1999@yahoo.com |
ISBA Vice President
Steve Petrilli Mechanicsburg, IL 217.638.7891 spetrilli45@gmail.com |
ISBA Central Region Director
Bernie Andrew Loraine, IL .217.938.4975 magic@adams.net |
ISBA Legislative Liaison
Rich Ramsey Rochester, IL 217.691.9354 rramsey2@gmail.com |
State of Illinois Dept. of Agriculture Apiary Inspector
Illinois Bees and Apiaries Program Arvin Pierce Waverly, IL 217.638.6371 rvnpirc51@gmail.com |
Vertical Divider
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Local Commercial Beekeeper - Honey & Queen Producer
Andy O'Connell Springfield, IL 217.299.4892 andy@steamshipbees.com |