Home & Garden
Get The Buzz On Bees With Forest Preserve's Facebook Live Program
Watch veteran beekeeper Mike Rusnak as he inspects honeybee hives and give tips on beekeeping during this Facebook Live program on July 23.
If you haven’t been able to attend a “Meet a Beekeeper” program in the past at Plum Creek Nature Center, now is your chance to tune in – virtually – to bone up on bees from the comfort of your home.
The online “Meet a Beekeeper” will begin at noon Thursday, July 23, on Facebook Live via the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Facebook page. The program will highlight beekeeping tips and fascinating facts about the world of beekeeping.
Local beekeeper Mike Rusnak, who has more than 15 year of beekeeping experience, will don his beekeeping suit, weather permitting, to perform a hive inspection and a varroa mite count. Varroa mites feed on and kill honeybees.
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“He will be assessing the health of the hive, which includes observing any challenges, including skunk, raccoon and mouse invasions,” Caldwell said. “If there are issues, Mike will troubleshoot to resolve the issues to maintain a successful hive. A successful hive means more honey production!”
Rusnak also will pull out honeybee-laden hive frames.
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“Some frames have eggs, larvae and pupae, or brood,” Caldwell said. “And where there’s brood, there’s the queen, laying eggs nearby. Mike will make sure that the queen is still in the hive and check her overall appearance for any signs of distress.”
Some frames will have capped honey, she added. Other frames will have some propolis, or bee glue, and pollen.
“The hive will consist mostly of the daughters of the queen that are known as ‘worker bees,’” Caldwell said. “We may see a drone or two. Drones are the males that are hatched from nonfertilized eggs laid by the queen.”
But not all the drones in the hive are the queen's offspring, she added.
“They could be using the hive for food and rest after an unsuccessful mating flight,” Caldwell said of the drop-in drones. “If the drones are successful in mating, they wouldn’t be in the hive because the mating process kills them!”
Feel free to ask questions during the livestream by posting in the comment section where they will be answered in real time.
Please note, this is an online only event.
The live stream will be pinned to the top of our Facebook page once the program goes live at noon.
Check out this video on the hive at Plum Creek Nature Center to prepare for the livestream!
