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2026 Illinois State Beekeepers Association Summer Meeting
hosted by the
Prairie State Beekeepers
June 12th - 13th, 2026
hosted by the
Prairie State Beekeepers
June 12th - 13th, 2026
Scroll Down to view the Topics and Speakers of all of the Conference Sessions
For Teachers
CEU Credits can be earned through this training and will be processed by Lincoln Land Community College. There will be a separate $15.00 fee that needs to be paid to LLCC at registration.
Location
Lincoln Land Community College at the A. Lincoln Commons with hands on presentations with hives from the
West Lake Nature Grove Apiary
West Lake Nature Grove Apiary
Accommodations
A block of rooms has been reserved and discounted at the
Country Inn and Suites
3092 Adlai Stevenson Drive
Springfield, IL 62703
(217)544-4515
Country Inn and Suites
3092 Adlai Stevenson Drive
Springfield, IL 62703
(217)544-4515
If you need childcare (age 0-12) to attend the conference,
Daycare will be available onsite for a fee of $25.00 per child (Ages 13 and Under), payable at registration.
Daycare will be available onsite for a fee of $25.00 per child (Ages 13 and Under), payable at registration.
Topics
Beekeeping Conference Schedule Saturday Programs Room assignments to be announced
Friday Evening Program will be held at Bald Budda Brewing
8:00–9:00 PM — Mead & Beer Panel Discussion
Panelists: Tom Skelly (Mead) TBA (Beer)
• Using honey in fermentation
• Flavor profiles
• Common mistakes
• Audience Q&A
PLEASE NOTE: This will be at BALD BUDDA BREWING, 3351 S 6th St #4, Springfield, IL 62703
9:00 PM — Social Hour
Note: Taste testing available at Bald Buddha (formerly Capital City Brewing).
Participants must be 21+.
Saturday Program
7:30–8:20 AM
Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:20–9:00 AM — Opening Session (Single Track)
• ISBA Officers — Welcoming Message
• Charles Dadant — Dadant and Sons Welcome Message
9:00–10:00 AM — Concurrent Sessions
• Dr. Jason Williams — The Value of Bees Outside of Agriculture
• Rich Ramsey — Creating items with Beeswax
• Tom Pankonen — How Not to Buy Bees: Understanding Nucs
• Tim Lindley — Managing Bees in Cooperation with Regenerative Farming Techniques
• Arvin Pierce — Treatment-Free Beekeeping
10:00–11:00 AM — Concurrent Sessions
• Tom Stark — Establishing and growing a club to stay relevant.
• Ken Kloepper — Anticipating Bees in Southern Illinois
• David Burns — Queen Rearing
• Tera Kapraun — Creamed Honey
• Larry Krengle — Harmonious Swarming
• Dave Cox — Beekeeping for Educators
11:00 AM–2:00 PM — Live Onsite Apiary Presentations
Live, rotating hands-on demonstrations led by experienced regional beekeepers.
Presentations repeat to allow attendee rotation.
Topics include:
• Reading a frame
• Working a colony
• Making a nuc
• Catching, holding, marking, and clipping a queen
• OTS (On-The-Spot) method - devised by Mel Disselkoen
• Winterization
• Feeding
• Queen rearing
Live bee demonstrations
At a minimum, participants need to wear a veil to protect their heads and necks from stings in apiary sessions. Participants are encouraged to arrive with their own protective gear/clothing. LLCC will have a limited number of veils with hats and veiled beekeeping jackets for participants to borrow, but protection from stings is not guaranteed. Honey bees can sting through clothing, including denim. Loose pants and closed toed shoes usually provide better protection than shorts, leggings, and sandals. All participants are expected to understand that there is a risk of being stung. Please notify an instructor if you are stung, even if you aren’t concerned, as it helps instructors to know if bees are behaving defensively and to keep an eye on participants for an allergic reaction. Participants should not bring any other beekeeping equipment besides a beekeeping veil or suit due to biosecurity concerns. Previously used leather gloves will not be allowed to touch beekeeping equipment.
Lunch will take place during this time (11:00-2:00).
2:00–3:00 PM — Concurrent Sessions
• Luke Harvey — Sidelining as a Business
• Tera Kapraun — Creamed Honey
• David Burns — Successful Queen Replacement
• Tim Lindley — Keeping Bees in Southern Illinois
• Melissa Gerard — Using Beeswax to Make Lip Balm
• Hands-on workshop
• Runs 2:00–4:00 PM
• $10 materials fee applies
3:00–4:00 PM — Concurrent Sessions
• Dr Larry Connor - Think like a bee
• Tom Pankonen — Common Beginner Mistakes
• Arvin Pierce — Treatment-Free Beekeeping
• President’s Meeting — Proficiency in Beekeeping for Illinois
• Melissa Gerard workshop continues until 4:00 PM
4:00–4:30 PM - No scheduled sessions (transition break)
4:30–5:30 PM — Closing Session (Single Track)
Panel Discussion & Q&A featuring:
• Rich Ramsey
• Luke Harvey
• Arvin Pierce
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