Campton Hills beekeeper to pass on the buzz

For a mere hobbyist, Bob Sobel sure can tell you a lot of fascinating facts about beekeeping.

Like, did you know the scent of bananas puts honeybees in a foul mood because it signals danger? Or that bees are friendliest when it's sunny and warm?

"Bees have personalities, too," says Sobel, a nature-lover who started beekeeping in his spare time about five years ago, "just like us."

This fall, community groups and individuals can observe Sobel in action - and learn the art of beekeeping themselves - through a new educational program sponsored by Campton Township. Sobel, 61, has agreed to share his knowledge of beekeeping as a hobby in return for permission to maintain several hives at Headwaters Conservation Area and the historic Corron Farm.

This is the first time the township has undertaken such an endeavor on public land. Township Administrator Julia Glas said lessons will focus not only on beekeeping, but how pollination and the nation's dwindling bee population factor into our daily lives.

"We're trying to help with the big picture," she said. "It all seems to fit really well" with the township's existing nature programs, she said.

For Sobel, beekeeping became a logical choice over the years as his family downsized from a 7-acre farm in Ohio, where he kept pigs, horses and sheep, among other creatures, to 1 acre in Campton Hills. A self-described animal lover, he orders his bees from California and visits them regularly throughout the year to make sure they're safe, sound and happy little honey producers.

Depending on how elaborate a setup you want, it can cost anywhere from $20 to a couple of hundred dollars to get started, Sobel says. But once most folks get going, they realize beekeeping isn't as difficult - or as dangerous - as many people might think.

"They care for themselves if you let them," he said. "Nature tells them what to do." In Northern Illinois, there's been a renewed interest in the craft in recent years amid publicity about Colony Collapse Disorder, a condition scientists blame for decreasing bee populations, said Erik Whalen-Pedersen, president of the Northern Illinois Beekeepers Association.

Whalen-Pedersen said the Woodstock-based group consists of about 100 families and individuals who keep anywhere from one hive to a commercial-size supply of about 3,000. Members range from children to senior citizens.

"People are suddenly realizing, wow, this affects me; it affects everybody," Whalen-Pedersen said of Colony Collapse Disorder. "The most startling fact to think about is that every third bite of food we take involves pollination."

According to the association, pollination is a $15 billion industry whose success can have a drastic impact on our food supply and the food supply of the livestock we eat.

Consumer ramifications aside, Whalen-Pedersen said beekeeping is a rewarding pastime in itself. There's much to be learned about how and why hives swarm, methods for harvesting honey, and the honeybee hierarchy of the drone, worker and queen ranks.

"For a little insect, bees are fascinating," said Whalen-Pedersen. "They know so much and do so much. It really makes you think."

"Then there are the sweet rewards," he added. "You get honey, beeswax and everything else. My family, we use honey wherever we can just because we have it."

For now, Campton Township's beekeeping program will remain relatively limited in scope, with lessons on the fundamentals and simple observation sessions. There will be little to no participation cost, particularly for 4-H and scouting groups, officials said.

To get involved, call Glass at (630) 377-5707. More information also will be available in mid-October at Corron Farm's annual Prairie Fest on the northeast corner of Silver Glen and Corron roads.