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580 Crooked Lane, North Barrington, IL 60010, US
About Us
Meet the Beekeepers
Karen and Brian Thomson are graduates from Iowa State University with degrees in Horticulture. North Barrington, IL has been their home for 30 years. Karen & Brian have two sons who are also Iowa State University graduates. One is working in Washington D.C. and the other in Chicago.
Brian started beekeeping when he was 11 years old!
In 1975, Brian volunteered at the Cranbrook Nature Center in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, tending to the beehives. When he was 16, he started Thomson Assembled Beehives and sold beekeeping equipment ready to be used. At the time, ready to use equipment was was a new concept. He continued the business and maintained 10+ hives while teaching classes about beekeeping until 1984. Shortly after that time, Brian was busy with internships in his field of study (Turfgrass management) and had to sell the beehives and put his passion for bees on hold.
Return to Beekeeping!
In 2016, Ray and Brenda Bailey (Karen's sister - pictured on the left), started keeping bees in Texas. Brian could not let his brother-in-law start keeping bees without him starting a few hives himself! The first year, Brian and Karen started 2 hives and by the second year they were up to 8 hives, with plans to add more the next year. As of 2024, the Thomson's have 140 hives and growing. It is now a full time business. Karen and Brian attend many farmers markets in the area along with selling their products online and teaching classes.
Updated Feb 16th
We will be CLOSED from Feb 27th - March 12th. Orders placed during this time will NOT be filled until March 13th.
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Beekeepers can now order Packages and Nucs for the 2025 season- click on Shop and scroll to bottom
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We are offering a Beginning Beekeeping Class on
April 5th - see website for more info
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Palatine Winter Market
Saturday, March 15th - 9am-12pm
We will NOT be at the March 1st market.
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Stores that carry our honey:
Ambrosia - Barrington
Apres - Lake Zurich
The Irie Cup - Harvard
Great Harvest Bread Co - Evanston