SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CNI) - Luke Harvey established the Riverview Road Apiary in 2014, perched along the Illinois River in Chillicothe, just across from the home where he grew up north of Peoria. Surrounded by birdsong on the back porch of the house, Harvey recently reflected on his history with bees.

“The love of beekeeping is also about the love of being outside, being closer to nature and being close to the world that we just aren’t really involved in.”

It’s an idyllic scene, one that can make it easy to overlook how challenging beekeeping can be for Harvey and the more than 5,400 other registered beekeepers across Illinois. Nearly 89% of them are hobbyists managing 10 colonies or fewer, according to the fiscal year 2025 Apiary Inspection Annual Report from the Illinois Department of

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