{"id":75,"date":"2019-02-27T19:55:54","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T01:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cibabees.org\/cibawp\/?page_id=75"},"modified":"2026-02-16T16:25:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T22:25:55","slug":"meeting-dates-and-topics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/cibabees.org\/cibawp\/meeting-dates-and-topics\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting Dates and Topics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meetings usually held at U of I Extension Livingston-McLean-Woodford Office, 1615 Commerce Parkway, Bloomington, IL 61704<\/strong> usually 4th Tuesday of the month, Meeting Time 7 pm – 9 pm, in person and online option – using Zoom (link below)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All are Welcome CIBA member or not<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting – Educational Topics 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February Meeting: 2\/24\/26. Sharon Seng, Meadow Ridge Bee Farm, Products of the Hive, wax products, lip balms, salves, and other products. Sharon does a fantastic presentation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

March Meeting: 3\/24\/26 Splitting and Swarm management<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zoom link<\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/Join Zoom Meeting https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/j\/86301143450… <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting ID: 863 0114 3450 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passcode: 034918<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bees and Brews Dates<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bees and Brews <\/strong>are usually the 2nd Wednesdays of the month, 6-?. Come hang out and talk bees and all the things associated with beekeeping! This is a social event to trade tales.  Come as a member or wannabee or someone just wanting to learn about bees or someone wanting to hang with good people.  We can BEE friendly.  (Let Tom Pankonen or PK know of recommendations for locations)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 3\/24\/26<\/strong> 12\/10\/25 Wednesday 6-8 pm Location: TBA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous Meeting Topics <\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 2026 Meeting: 1\/27\/26 James Shiverdecker, New Varro mite Treatment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November\/December Meeting: 12\/2\/25. Broodminder, Rich Morris<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October Meeting 10\/28\/25 Topic: Mead Making and Sampling with campfire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February Meeting Tuesday 2\/25\/25<\/strong> Hive Autopsy \u2013 Patti Koranda, and panel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November Meeting (Dec. 3rd)<\/strong> – Landscape Planting for your Bees – Jaci Dixon, Master Gardener and Board Elections<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10\/22\/24 \u2013 Nosema Testing, Tom Pankonen and Arthur Parks- Board Nomination<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9\/24\/24 7-9 pm Bottling and Marketing, Rob Preston, Tippy Creek<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8\/27\/24 August Meeting Winter Prep – Luke Harvey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7\/23\/24 July Meeting Pulling Frames Getting Ready to Harvest -Panel discussion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6\/25\/24 June Meeting State Inspector<\/strong> – Jim Wellwood-Inspections<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5\/28\/24 April Meeting Pests control<\/strong> – Arthur Parks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4\/23\/24 Making Splits\/Swarm Management – Tom Pankonen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\/27\/24 7-9 pm Queen Rearing<\/strong> – Tom Pankonen, Honey Pimp Apiary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/23\/24 7-9 pm Genetics – Cory Stevens<\/strong>, Stevens Bee Co., Past president of Missouri St. Beekeepers Assoc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

11\/28\/23 7-9 pm Patti Koranda<\/strong>, Planting for your bees and Winterizing your Hives, Board election<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10\/24\/23 7-9 pm Sharon Seng, <\/strong>Products from the Hive and Ways We can Use them, Board nominations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9\/26\/23 7-9 pm Izzy Harms <\/strong>-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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8\/22\/23 7-9 pm David Burns, Master Beekeeper, Long Lane Bees <\/strong>– Level Up – a Guide on how the beekeeper can become a true Citizen Scientist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7\/25\/23<\/strong> The Honey Harvest \u2013<\/strong>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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6\/27\/23 7-9 pm Pest Control – <\/strong>Mike Lavazza Talks about how to mitigate pests in your hives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5\/23\/23 7-9 pm<\/strong> Preventing Swarms by Supering, Splitting, Understanding Honey Bound – Panel Discussion. Talks about how to understand why bees swarm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4\/25\/23 7-9 pm<\/strong> Swarm Management: Tom Pankonen, Honey Pimp Apiary, What to look for, How to prevent swarming, How to split a hive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\/28\/23 7-9 pm<\/strong> 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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\/28\/23 7-9 pm<\/strong> John O’Brien, youth scholarship recipient, recaps Hive Life Conference, Discusses the health important of cycling out brood comb <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/24\/23 7-9 pm<\/strong> 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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous Meeting Topics 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12\/27\/22 No December Meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11\/29\/22 7-9 pm – Recapping the year and CIBA Board Elections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 25, 2022 7-9 pm -What to do to get Equipment and Bees ready for Winter and Spring – Nominations for Board Elections <\/strong>at U of I Extension McLean Co.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 1st, 2022 – Use of Oxaclic Acid – Demonstration of the use of the clubs OA Kits<\/strong> at Sugar Grove Nature Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 23rd, 2022 Winterizing, James Shiverdecker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 13th, 2022 Extraction Event at Hillco Bees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 26th, 2022 Mites and Pest Management, Arthur Parks and James Shiverdecker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 28th, 2022 Cottage Food Laws, Kelly Lay, McLean County Extension office Staff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 24th, 2022 Swarm Prevention and Splitting Hives, Tom Pankonen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 26th, 2022 Inspecting your Hives, Jim Wellwood, state bee inspector Learn what to look for in your hives.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 22, 2022 Meeting Topic: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – panel discussion of Newbees and Oldbees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 22, 2022 Meeting Topic: 2 topics: Dead Hive? What’s next? – Patti Koranda, and Mushrooms and Bees? – Nick Frillman, U of I Educator <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 25, 2022 Meeting Topic: Products of the Hive, lip balm, salves, lotions – Sharon Seng and Tom Pankonen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Topics 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 24th, 2020 Meeting Topic: Hive Inspections – Jim Wellwood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will meet remotely, online Tuesday, March 24 at 7 pm using Zoom<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n