December 1, 2024 - First Day Beekeeping Scholarship Applications to be accepted
See the Scholarship Application Page for complete information
See the Scholarship Application Page for complete information
January 2, 2025 - Registration Opens for the 6 Week Introduction to Beekeeping Class.
See the Summary of Events Page for complete information and for the registration link
which will not be activated until 1/2/25
See the Summary of Events Page for complete information and for the registration link
which will not be activated until 1/2/25
Prairie State Beekeepers Meeting - January 2, 2025
The January 2, 2025, 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.
The tentative agenda is below
The January 2, 2025, 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.
The tentative agenda is below
Items to check in December/January
- Put a solid form of sugar such as cook sugar bricks, mountain camp dry sugar method, Missouri Krabby Patty, commercial winter patties or a candy board. If the hive is heavy, you can usually wait until the winter solstice which occurs on December 21 this year.
- In our area, the queens should have stopped laying and should not resume until late January. There are winter pollen sources starting in late January and even more in February which the honey bees will work providing there is suitable weather for flying.
- Wondering where the bees are finding the pollen they are bringing in? Check the pollen sources by time of year on the documents page of our website.
- NASA has also produced an online map of honey bee forage sources by region
- Some January and February pollen sources are:
- Trees: Tree pollen counts increase in January, with yew, alder, and hazel trees being the most common.
- Crocus, snowdrop, and hyacinth bulbs: These bulbs provide early nectar and pollen for honey bees, often opening in late January and February.
- Fruit trees: Early-blooming fruit trees like cherry and apple trees flower in late February.
- Acacia, eucalyptus, and willows: These trees become major pollen sources in the last week or two of January.
- Ashe juniper: This tree pollinates from mid-December to mid-February, with January being the peak.
- Willow: Willow pollen allergy season can last from late February into late May.
- Maple: Some species of Maples bloom in February
- Winter aconite: This flower has bright lemon yellow flowers that are attractive to bees.
There have been some reported issues concerning the PSBA Google Group forum with members who have non Gmail based email addresses. Some but not all Yahoo and Outlook based email addresses have encountered the problem.
A few have been unexplainably removed from the group by Google. When we try to add the non Gmail based email address to the group, an error message states, the person cannot be directly added to the group, but must be invited.
If you have not been receiving the monthly zoom invites via the google group or have not seen any google group emails for a month, then...
A few have been unexplainably removed from the group by Google. When we try to add the non Gmail based email address to the group, an error message states, the person cannot be directly added to the group, but must be invited.
If you have not been receiving the monthly zoom invites via the google group or have not seen any google group emails for a month, then...
- Check your spam/junk folder and tell your email client the email from the PSBA group is not spam. We have noticed even Gmail will occasionally mark the PSBA google group emails as spam.
- Try to add yourself back to the PSBA Google group. Go to the Google Group tab of the PSBA website and click the blue icon.
- If you are already a PSBA Google group member it should take you to the group. If you are not already a PSBA Google Group member, it should allow you to be requested to be added to the group. Be sure to use your name and email address you used to join PSBA.
- If you accidentally click on the link and unsubscribe yourself from the PSBA Google group you can use the above stated procedure to get yourself added back to the group.
- If the email address does not appear on the PSBA membership list, the add request will not be approved. See the below screenshot of the Google Group page tab.
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2025 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 
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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:
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Prairie State
Beekeeping Presentation Committee Chairperson & Apparel Committee Chairperson Melissa Gerard Athens, IL 217.691.2223 [email protected] |
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ISBA Vice President
Steve Petrilli Mechanicsburg, IL 217.638.7891 [email protected] |
ISBA Legislative Liaison
Rich Ramsey Rochester, IL 217.691.9354 [email protected] |
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Vertical Divider
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Local Commercial Beekeeper - Honey & Queen Producer
Andy O'Connell Springfield, IL 217.299.4892 [email protected] |