Greetings Fellow Beekeepers:

Our thanks to Bill and Barbara Mattatall for hosting our July meeting. After a short meeting followed by some bee talk and a delicious lunch, many checked out Bill's honey house and apiary.

This month's plant is Partridge Pea. An erect plant reaches a height of one to three feet. The leaves consist of ten to sixteen pairs of small leaflets that are somewhat delicate, and when touched will close up. The snowy yellow flowers, about one inch across, grow two to four in a cluster on the stem. The bloom period is July through September. The Partridge Pea may not provide a surplus of honey, but will keep the bees occupied until the later flowers furnish a fall flow. Its seed is a major food for quail and other birds as the seed remains in sound condition throughout the winter and early spring.

Brenda and Roger Tracey at the YMCA Outdoor Center just southwest of Belleville will host our August meeting. Brenda's apiary is unique in that it is fenced in and complies with the City of Belleville Ordinance. Those wishing to keep bees in a populated area may want to check out Brenda's apiary.

The August meeting is as follows: Sunday, August 29th at 2:00 p.m. at the YMCA Outdoor Center in Belleville, Illinois. Our Public Information Officer, Brenda Tracey, and hostess, will provide a map of the location along with her newsletter.

As usual, bring chairs, a side dish and/or dessert and veil as well as a tale of an experience you had with the bees.

Ken Schaefer
President

 

The purpose and function of the association is the promotion of interest in bees and beekeeping by such means as encouraging (1) good beekeeping (2) the utilization of bees for pollination of agricultural crops, and (3) the dissemination of information about bees and beekeeping.   Membership is open to anyone interested in beekeeping.  Annual dues are $10.to the St. Clair Beekeepers Association.  Members receive ten newsletters from the St. Clair Beekeepers Association.  Annual dues to the Illinois State Beekeepers Association are also $10. and you will receive a bi-monthly newsletter from the I.S.B.A.  Members to the I.S.B.A. will receive discounts of about 25% off on the American Bee Journal, Bee Culture  and/or Speedy Bee magazine(s).  Please refer to the I.S.B.A. newsletter for current magazine rates and discounts.  Make all dues payable to: St. Clair Beekeepers Association and mail to the St. Clair Beekeepers Association c/o Ken Schaefer 10 French Quarter, Belleville , IL 62223\\