Welcome! If you are a new beekeeper or interested, thinking about, or just curious about honey bees and beekeeping, you can learn a lot at the Beekeeping Class January 30, 2016 that is hosted and put on by the Heart of Illinois Beekeepers Association. The class will be held at Tazwell County Farm Bureau, 1505 Valle Vista, Pekin, IL 61554. The class will run from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided for all attendees. The cost is $50 ($40 without lunch) for non-members and $30 for members. If you would like to bring a spouse or a child (age appropriate please), add an additional $10 to cover the cost of lunch.

We’ve got a full day planned with topics that will aid you in your journey as a beekeeper. Our aim is to give you the best possible knowledge to make informed decisions to save you time, money, frustration, and possible heartbreak. We want you to become a successful beekeeper whether you just want the benefits of having the bees for pollination in your garden and only want one or two hives, or you have aspirations of starting a small side business. We want you to have the knowledge to be a beekeeper, not a beHAVER. The days of putting bees into a wooden box and coming back in the fall to harvest honey are gone. You need to be actively involved with your new hobby and constantly learning and keeping track of their progress. An incomplete list of topics covered in the class is below.

• Choosing your apiary location
• Choosing and buying woodenware and other equipment and tools
• Where to buy bees
• Cleanliness in the bee yard
• Feeding bees and nutrition
• What to look for during hive inspections
• Early detection of diseases and pests
• Medications and treatments

Beekeeping is a very interesting and exciting family hobby that helps your community and your local environment. If you are interested, this is what you need to get started. We look forward to meeting you and sharing the knowledge we have gained through the combined years of beekeeping our members possess.

To register for the class, please mail a check and registration form to Dale Martin. Click for the registration form and mailing address.