Sweet Success: A Journey into Beekeeping
ILLINOIS VALLEY BEEKEEPING CLUB
Warren Norris - President - 815-228-3330
Mike Lawyer - Vice President - 779-435-9941
Sheri Stumreiter - Treasurer - 815-503-2863
Stephanie Nelson - Secretary - 815-488-3763
We are open to the public and invite you to join us at one of our upcoming meetings. At our meetings each month we offer the opportunity to share experiences with fellow beekeepers and engage in discussion to help expand your knowledge of beekeeping.
As a paid member you have access to vote on club issues, run for a seat on the board, rent club equipment such as extractors, books and magazines from our growing library, and the chance to help us spread the word at local events.
If interested in becoming a member come to meeting and sign up, cost is $20 annually with $10 of that registering you automatically with the Illinois State Beekeepers' Association. Two memberships in one!
Meetings are the 2nd Friday of the month, with the exception of July (Summer Picnic) & December,
please arrive around 6:45pm, meeting starts at 7:00pm and ends around 9:00pm.
We look forward to having you as a new member.
Meetings are held at the:
La Salle County Extension Office
1689 North 31st Road
Lower Level (basement)
Ottawa, IL 61350
Upcoming Meeting!!
FRIDAY MARCH 13th 2026
We are open to the public and invite you to join us at our upcoming meeting where we offer the opportunity to share experiences with fellow beekeepers and engage in discussion to help expand your knowledge of beekeeping.
Please arrive around 6:45pm,
meeting starts at 7:00pm
and ends around 9:00pm.
La Salle County Extension Office
1689 North 31st Road
Lower Level (basement)
Ottawa, IL 61350
*Check back for agenda and questions
to see what was discussed at past meetings go to the following link...
Now is the time to start thinking of the future!!
2026 Robert Brandner Grant
The purpose of this Grant is to provide financial assistance for one year, at the discretion of the IVBA, in the amount of $250.00, to a current student and IVBA member who has an interest in the Art and Science of Beekeeping and Honey Bees.
We are here to help make this a success for you, offering mentorship and hands on experience through the club to make your dreams a possibility.
Criteria:
- Award will be paid to the participant, or guardian in the case of a minor;
- Must be an active student and IVBA member. You can become a member at any time;
- The applicant must commit to volunteering with the Illinois Waterway, and/or, an experienced mentor, for a period of 10 hours for the given year;
- Candidates must provide letters of recommendation from at least two experienced beekeepers, preferably a mentor and another beekeeping individual familiar with the candidate’s understanding, commitment, and experience;
- Funds provided are not based on financial need;
- Applicant must provide photos of their work with the hives and their mentor, and write a 300 word essay based on their interest, experience, and goals in regard to the Art and Science of Beekeeping and Honey Bees (having said that, no experience is necessary).
Note: Must be returned to the
Illinois Valley Beekeeper’s Association
Mail or drop off location is the
University of Illinois Extension Center – LaSalle County Office
1689 N. 31st Road, Suite 2, Ottawa, IL 61350
Grant Winner will be announced on the 2nd Friday of November – of any given year - during the IVBA’s regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
What to be doing in your hive this Month!
March 2026
Did your bees make it through Illinois winter?
In March, beekeepers need to focus on ensuring colony survival by checking food stores, as this is a peak starvation month. Check hives by lifting (hefting) them to gauge weight, monitor front entrance activity. Key tasks include feeding 1:1 sugar syrup as the days get warmer and pollen substitute. Remember once you start feeding to stay on top of it regularly. As warmer weather teases us (recommend temps greater than 50°F, sunny no wind or rain) in March you may have an opportunity to briefly open the hive to see if you have a queen and if she is laying. Be quick about it to prevent chilling the brood. Maybe even tackle mites with an early treatment, check your treatment temps and applications.
Did your bees not make it... take a minute to say a few words.
Ok, you have a dead out, what a great opportunity to learn from your bees... do an autopsy.
Open your hive, what do you see?
*Are they clustered at the top as if they just could not reach the sugar feed and kind of froze in place - starvation.
Pull out a few empty frames first and gently peel the frames apart, look carefully you may be able to see the queen in a cluster.
*Check out the heater bees in the cells with their buts in the air. Is it a small cluster or a large group? - not enough bees to maintain hive temperature.
Scoop a cup of bees and do an alcohol mite check, good time to learn what a mite count is.
*Do you have an abundance of mites? - better mite treatment regiment needed. Maybe treat the hives you still have with a weather approved treatment sooner than later. Personally we use Apivar in the early season to be removed before honey flow.
*Do you have a pile of wet soggy bees on the bottom board? - moisture issues. Try to add a moisture board or mountain camp method next year to address the condensation issue.
*Is bottom board covered with a thick layer of all your bees? - no ventilation. Look into ways to add winter ventilation or clean the bottom screen in the winter, sometimes just clearing the snow off the front entrances over the winter allows the hive to breath.
So from all that lets clean up! Remove what bees can be removed shake them out, scrape them off. You do not need to remove every little heater bee the new bees will clean house.
Scrape off build up of wax or propolis, paint the exterior of the hive if it needs a new coat. Replace or repair broken frames, check your foundation, if the cells are really dark, overly packed with old pollen stores an abundance of drone cells or is older than 4 years it may be time to replace it with new foundation.
Maintain your equipment by cleaning and inspecting your suit, scraping, repairing, replacing and preparing tools. Clean out your smoker.
Order Supplies!
Order your queens, packages, or nucs if you have not already to ensure timely delivery for spring.
Register with Illinois Department of Agriculture. Registration of one or more honeybee colonies with the Department is required of beekeepers to help protect and enhance Illinois’ Apiary Industry.
Sign up for Driftwatch https://driftwatch.org/
Join your local Beekeepers Association!