Meetings usually held at U of I Extension Livingston-McLean-Woodford Office, 1615 Commerce Parkway, Bloomington, IL 61704 Meeting in person and online option – using Zoom (link below)
All Welcome CIBA member or not
4th Tuesday of the month usually
Meeting Time 7 pm – 9 pm
Bees and Brews are usually the 2nd Wednesdays of the month, 6-?. We try Wednesdays to allow those unable to attend Tuesday meetings, a chance to meet other members and talk bees. The location will vary each month. The idea is a social activity to talk about bees.
Topics 2023
9/26/23 7-9 pm Izzy Harms -Making Mead and sample varieties around the campfire. This event will take place at PK’s, 6424 Alexander Road, Heyworth. Bring a lawn chair. Plan for outside will move inside if weather dictates that.
10/24/23 7-9 pm Sharon Seng, Products from the Hive and Ways We can Use them, Board nominations
11/28/23 7-9 pm Patti Koranda, Planting for your bees and Winterizing your Hives, Board election
December – no meeting
Monthly Meeting Zoom option: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIqf-isqj8oEtxAZmi7o0DqzSR_AahIvu2x/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGuqTMrHtCRshGPRpwAB4qgd-jwiClBj7dFvSXoCndcMifnLNFwDZN-GPHG
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86781444288?pwd=Qzk1RHI2QThvak41VlU0aFNkdzc0UT09
Meeting ID: 867 8144 4288
Passcode: 885487
Bees and Brews Dates
(If you have a suggestion as to where to go, Let Tom Pankonen know)
9/13/23 6-8 pm Keg Grove, 712 E. Empire, Bloomington Food truck available
Previous Meeting Topics 2023
8/22/23 7-9 pm David Burns, Master Beekeeper, Long Lane Bees – Level Up – a Guide on how the beekeeper can become a true Citizen Scientist
7/25/23 The Honey Harvest –Panel talks about When and How to pull honey frames, frame storage, reserving and expectations of using equipment, containers, labeling, costs. An extraction hands on event planned in August 25th, Hillco Beekeeping Equipment, Minonk
6/27/23 7-9 pm Pest Control – Mike Lavazza Talks about how to mitigate pests in your hives
5/23/23 7-9 pm Preventing Swarms by Supering, Splitting, Understanding Honey Bound – Panel Discussion. Talks about how to understand why bees swarm
4/25/23 7-9 pm Swarm Management: Tom Pankonen, Honey Pimp Apiary, What to look for, How to prevent swarming, How to split a hive
3/28/23 7-9 pm Mushrooms: Dr. Naeger, Research of Extracts of Polypore mushroom mycelis to reduce viruses in honey bees. Gabe Anderson, Totally Normal Fungus, How bees wax is used for Mushroom Grow Logs
2/28/23 7-9 pm John O’Brien, youth scholarship recipient, recaps Hive Life Conference, Discusses the health important of cycling out brood comb
1/24/23 7-9 pm Getting Our Girls to Spring: Discussion panel on strategies to care for the bees in the hive to make it to spring. Patti Koranda, James Shiverdecker, Valerie Ross
Previous Meeting Topics 2022
12/27/22 No December Meeting
11/29/22 7-9 pm – Recapping the year and CIBA Board Elections
October 25, 2022 7-9 pm -What to do to get Equipment and Bees ready for Winter and Spring – Nominations for Board Elections at U of I Extension McLean Co.
October 1st, 2022 – Use of Oxaclic Acid – Demonstration of the use of the clubs OA Kits at Sugar Grove Nature Center
August 23rd, 2022 Winterizing, James Shiverdecker
August 13th, 2022 Extraction Event at Hillco Bees
July 26th, 2022 Mites and Pest Management, Arthur Parks and James Shiverdecker
June 28th, 2022 Cottage Food Laws, Kelly Lay, McLean County Extension office Staff
May 24th, 2022 Swarm Prevention and Splitting Hives, Tom Pankonen
April 26th, 2022 Inspecting your Hives, Jim Wellwood, state bee inspector Learn what to look for in your hives.
March 22, 2022 Meeting Topic: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – panel discussion of Newbees and Oldbees
February 22, 2022 Meeting Topic: 2 topics: Dead Hive? What’s next? – Patti Koranda, and Mushrooms and Bees? – Nick Frillman, U of I Educator
January 25, 2022 Meeting Topic: Products of the Hive, lip balm, salves, lotions – Sharon Seng and Tom Pankonen
Topics 2020
March 24th, 2020 Meeting Topic: Hive Inspections – Jim Wellwood
We will meet remotely, online Tuesday, March 24 at 7 pm using Zoom!
- Our meeting this month will be online only using zoom. If you’ve never used it, please try the link in the meeting ahead and confirm you can join and connect. The software is free and pretty simple to use.
- You can connect using a free app on your smart device, via your web browser, or you can dial in on your phone.
- Due to the recent issues, we are all facing in the country our meeting will be held online. Luckily we piloted this last month and it seemed to be a success. Please try and join ahead and let us know in the event feed if you have issues. We ask that you stay muted unless speaking to the group. By default you will be muted when you join.
April 8th, 2020 Bees and Brews
April 28th, 2020 Hands on Field Trip: Hive Inspections
Past 2020 Topics
January 28th, 2020 -Hardware, tool and gadgets – Mark Delashmit
February 2nd, 2020 -Field Trip, Hardware building – PK’s house, noon to 4
February 12, 2020 Bees and Brews
February 25, 2020 Getting Bees Started, Spring feeding syrup and pollen – Tom Pankonen
March 11th, 2020: Bees and Brews – 2 Doors Down, Clinton
March 24th, 2020 Hive Inspection, Jim Wellwood, State inspector
Past 2019 Topics
January 27th, 2019 – Field Trip – Building Hardware
February 26th, 2019 – Making Mead and Hive Products
March 26th, 2019 – Swarm Management, Swarm Traps, Collecting Swarms
April 23rd, 2019 – Field Trip – Hive Inspection
May 22nd, 2019 – Increasing bees, Introduction to Queen Rearing
June 25th, 2019 – Pest, Disease, Hive Autopsy
July 27th, 2019 – Mites: Management, Treatment, Winterizing
August 27th, 2019 – Legal Issues
September 28th, 2019 – Field Trip -Extraction-At 6424 Alexander Road, Heyworth, IL 61745, PK House
October 22nd, 2019 – Bee Habitat, Board Elections
November 26th, 2019 – What is Your Plan? Get Ready for Next Year
December, 2019 – No meeting