History
Willie's Honey Company is a small business run by my Wife Rachel and I (Wil) . We are located around Northern Illinois in the Lake/Mchenry counties area. We strive to provide high quality hive products, bees and learning opportunities at an affordable price. I started beekeeping when I was 13 by finding a book at the Library and have been hooked ever since. I went on and got a degree in environmental ecology and wetland ecosystems. In addition I am currently serving as the vice president of the Lake County Beekeepers Association. I believe that all agricultural practices should leave the land and the animals better than it started out. Following this train of thought we don't use any chemical treatments on our hives and select stock from winter hardy and disease resistant survivor stock. Many of our hives and components are built from dumpster dived lumber, paint, and nails. Bees are an important part of the ecosystem and all of our lives.
Specialties
If you are looking to get your agricultural tax break or want somebody to take care of your beehives for you. We offer teaching and turn-key services. Call for more information. We remove all free hanging swarms gratis. We can even get the high ones that are over 25 feet! We also specialize in removing honeybee colonies that have taken up residence in structures and trees. We also offer swarm trapping services for properties that have a regular issue with honeybees. Willie has training in environmental ecology and has lots of experience with carpentry and 17 years of beekeeping. He knows how to remove bees properly so that it doesn't become a headache. On the other side of our business is to provide high quality comb honey,raw honey,beeswax and propolis to Northern Illinois and the surrounding areas. In the spring we have local nucs and package bees available. Later in the year we have locally raised queens. Our queens are not just raised from overwinter stock, but it must thrive and survive into its 3rd year in order to be considered for breeding. We use no chemicals in the raising of our bees and rely on integrated pest management and our breeding program to have healthy stock. We work with some of the best bee breeders in the country to keep our stock at the cutting edge.