Watch now: More than 400 species of bees make their home in Illinois | Recreation
Patti Koranda of the Central Illinois Beekeepers Association talks about what to do — and not to do — around bees and provides other information about these prolific pollinators.
FUNKS GROVE — If you get up close and personal with wildflowers on your walks, you’re likely to encounter a bee. There’s no need to bee — I mean, be — afraid.
“The bees do not attack you,” said Patti Koranda of the Central Illinois Beekeepers Association. “She only does it defensively.”
If a bee comes close and “investigates” you, stay calm and don’t wave your arms around frantically, advises Koranda. “That makes them nervous.”
Instead, she said, “If a bee is checking me out, it’s on my hand or on me, I can just slowly walk away,” or stand still as it walks on you and wait for it to fly away.
Bees are more aggressive if you are around their hive or if there is a “dearth,” a time when food and nectar are not readily available, Koranda explained.
Patti Koranda of the Central Illinois Beekeepers Association checks out the status of bees and honeycomb at an apiary — a collection of beehives — at Sugar Grove Nature Center.
In other words, hungry bees can get “hangry.”
But, right now, lots of flowers are in bloom, making for happy bees.
I spent about two hours around honeybee hives as members of the Central Illinois Beekeepers Association were checking hives they placed in one area, called an apiary, at Sugar Grove Nature Center, and I wasn’t bothered at all.
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Granted, I was wearing a beekeeper’s jacket and hood, but my hands were exposed so I could shoot pictures and video. And I’ve been close to them while taking pictures of the bees themselves and wildflowers with no stinging encounters.
Bees are quite beautiful when you take the time to look at them. You may even see little pockets of pollen on them. Plus, their flying skills are amazing.
A bee gathers nectar or pollen from a purple coneflower at the Fransen Nature Area in Normal in July.
Koranda said there are more than 400 species of bees in Illinois and 4,000 species in the Americas.
Honeybees — the only bees that make honey — are not native to the United States but are not invasive, said Koranda. In fact, the honeybees, along with our native bees, play crucial roles in pollinating plants that are food sources for many animals as well as humans.
“Pollen is their protein. Nectar is their carbohydrates,” said Koranda.
Honeybee queens can live two to five years, she said, but our native bees live about a year, and only the queen lives through the winter.
Izzy Harms of the Central Illinois Beekeepers Association carries a tray from a hive so honey can be extracted on Aug. 1. The hive is part of a demonstration apiary at Sugar Grove Nature Center used for demonstrations and education.
You can help native bees by being a “messy gardener,” said Koranda, leaving leaves under which native queen bees will be protected while they hibernate.
The Central Illinois Beekeepers Association offers a class in winter, usually in January, for people interested in beekeeping, and mentors beekeepers throughout the year. The winter workshop gives people enough time to prepare and get the necessary equipment to get into beekeeping, said Koranda. For more information on the group, check out their website, cibabees.org.
A sign at the Fransen Nature Area in Normal provides bee facts and reminds people that “as long as you don’t bug them, they won’t bug you.”
When I accompanied members of the group to the demonstration apiary at Sugar Grove, they were checking on the health of the bees, looking for such things as mites that could carry diseases harmful to bees, while also seeing if the queen bees were still at their hives and finding which trays were ready to be temporarily removed from the hives to extract honey. They wound up with seven gallons of honey for their work — and the bees’ work.
“You go in with a plan and they change it for you,” said Koranda
“You really have to roll with the punches,” added Izzy Harms, another member of CIBA.
Photos: Preserving agriculture at the McLean County Fair for our children
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Annabelle Sutter, 9, Danvers, was disturbed from her art project by her Jersey cow “Ronette” as they kept each other company at the McLean County Fair on Friday. Sutter brought home a ribbon for reserve grand champion. She is a member of the Hudson Ag 4-H Club.
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Eloise Bosquet, 9, Bloomington, milks a mechanical cow in the Food & Farm Fun Zone at the McLean County Fair on Friday.
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Madison Kraft, 18, of the Towanda and Bridle Path 4-H Clubs, prepares her goat for competition at the McLean County Fair on Friday.
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Chad Lawyer of Carlock helped out Madison Kraft of Towanda as he vacuumed her goat before going onto competition at the McLean County Fair, Friday, August 6, 2021.
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Actor Allan Adcock pushed swords through a box holding Mary Macaroni during one of the midway performances at the McLean County Fair, August 6, 2021.
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Eloise Bosquet, 9, Bloomington, pets a baby chick in the Food & Farm Fun Zone at the McLean County Fair on Friday.
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Morgan Mouser, 16, Downs, keeps track of her chicks as she tends a chick petting zoo during the Food & Farm Fun Zone at the McLean County Fair on Friday.
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Mary Macaroni, also know as Karen Burris of Chicago, pops out of a “sword in the box” magic trick to the amazement of children at the McLean County Fair, Friday, August 6, 2021. Burrs’ partner, Allan Adcock, right, impaled the box with swords without injuring the star of the midway show.
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Gailen Smiley of Normal, left, takes a photo of his grandson, Abel, 3, while touring the antique tractor tent at the McLean County Fair, Thursday. The 22 tractors on display come from across McLean County and represent agricultural technology from 1935 to 1971.
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They still make corndogs at the McLean County Fair as Marlon Diaz, 6, Bloomington, treats himself to one for lunch Thursday. The fair runs through Sunday.
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Customers line up to buy lunch at food vendors’ booths at the McLean County Fair Thursday.
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Greg Watkin, left, and Marlin Hendren, volunteers with the Gridley Golden Banners, moved around fans to cool off poultry cages at the McLean County Fair on Wednesday.
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Cody Lyon, who is studying agriculture at Heartland Community College, tried to size up the root systems on the winners of the hybrid field corn that was was on display at the McLean County Fair on Wednesday.
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Paula Sandage of Arrowsmith admires art displayed during the 4-H competition.
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FFA superintendent Diane Weer; Brittnay Haag, horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension; and 4-H judge Diane Cook examine some of the entries in the flower arranging competition.
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Channing Durbin, 11, cleaned up his poultry cages as he showed ducks and chickens at the McLean County Fair on Wednesday.
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Landon Baker holds his Rhode Island Red rooster, “Dusty,” as his sister, Jayden, cleans his feet before poultry judging at the McLean County Fair on Wednesday. 4-H exhibitors brought their entries to the fairgrounds for judging beginning Monday to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19.
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A colorful tropical bird painted by Abigail Wilson of the Olympia Pacesetters was recognized during the art exhibition at the McLean County Fair on Wednesday.
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Landon Baker removes his Rhode Island Red rooster, Dusty, from his cage before the poultry judging on Wednesday at the McLean county Fair. Some 4-H exhibitors brought their entries to the west Bloomington fairgrounds for judging beginning Monday to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Most of the animal exhibits arrived Wednesday, the day the fair officially opened. The fair runs through Sunday.
IT’S COUNTY FAIR TIME
Isabella Crego of the Flanagan-Cornell FFA turns a fast corner during the pole bending competition at the McLean County Fair on on Tuesday. Horsemanship competition runs through Saturday.
MCLEAN COUNTY FAIR PREP CONTINUES
McLean County Fair exhibitor Travis Rhode, 12, of Carlock, a member of the Hudson Ag 4-H club, sets up fans for his pigs at the fairgrounds on Monday. The fair opens Wednesday and runs until Sunday.
Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota