Westside Bee Boyz, LLC

09/12/2025

This is Little Leo aka King of our world. He is a rescue cat, we have had him for about 2 months and now he is now my shadow. He is never far from my reach. He loves petting and treats and we supply plenty of that here. One of his eyes has a cataract(left) but it gives him distinction and mystery but has not slowed down his playfulness.
He is not a pet but a member of our family and a welcome addition. He will definitely be loved.



to love

09/08/2025

08/26/2025

🐝✨ Sweet Deal Alert! ✨🐝
Westside Bee Boyz Honey Pre-Sale is live!

📦 Shipments begin September 5, 2025
📍 Pickups available September 8, 2025 (location TBA)

💵 PAYMENTS:
CashApp: $westsidebeeboyz
PayPal: [email protected]
Venmo:

🔥 First 8 pre-sales of $70 or more will receive a FREE Chicago Bulls hat from the 2017 BMO Artist Hat Series and retro collections.

Secure your honey & your exclusive Bulls hat while supplies last 🐝🍯

06/03/2025

Catch us a the Ogden Farms, farmers market 🍯🍯🍯 on Friday, June 27, 1-5pm. Thanks to for making this happen

05/24/2025

Our beloved founder, Thad, is currently in the hospital. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he rests and recovers.

If you’d like to support Thad during this time, you can:
— Donate via CashApp: $westsidebeeboyz
— Hire us for a beekeeping presentation
— Sponsor a hive installation in his honor

Our Resident Queen Bee, (https://instagram.com/denise_thugstable), is available for all inquiries.

50% of all proceeds will go directly to Thad’s recovery.
Thank you for holding our hive family up with love.


eWellThad

05/21/2025

It’s always World Bee Day here. Looking to get deeper into the world of bees this summer? Here’s our Westside Bee Boyz Reading List—a mix of science, storytelling, and serious pollinator love. Perfect for beekeepers, bee lovers, and curious minds alike.

Our Picks:
• The Good Bee – Alison Benjamin & Brian McCallum
• The Mind of a Bee – Lars Chittka
• Our Native Bees – Paige Embry
• What a Bee Knows – Stephen Buchmann
• The Dancing Bee – Karl von Frisch

From understanding native bees to decoding the waggle dance, these books deepen our respect for pollinators and inspire the work we do across Chicago. Let us know what you’re reading—or tag us in your bee book stack!

05/20/2025

BTS - Founder Thad J. Smith and his family were recently interviewed by WTTW at their South Side homestead, where two of our Westside Bee Boyz colonies thrive. Feature story coming soon.

05/19/2025

Big thanks to Justin Shiltz for donating two nucs to support our citywide beekeeping work! These bees are ready to go—but we need more hive bodies to house them. Got extra equipment collecting dust? Help us give these colonies a proper home. Donations of hive bodies (deeps + mediums especially) are deeply appreciated!

04/24/2025

Join us in wishing a very Happy Birthday to our Resident Beekeeper and official Queen Bee, Janelle ()!

This summer, we’re honored to have her lead the Westside Bee Boyz Queen Bee Residency. Janelle’s no stranger to the hives; she’s been with us since 2018 and is now expanding her vision across two buzzing sites:

At Sweet Water, she’s taking charge of Queen rearing, nurturing the next generation of hive leaders while hosting Workshop Wednesdays and holding it down at the Friday Farmers Market for public outreach.

On 103rd Street, she’s managing a thriving hive with the support of interns through One Chicago, curating community programming, and hosting Saturday Markets and art studio time.

Wishing you a year as radiant and purposeful as the work you’re doing, Queen Bee!

02/18/2025

Doing a market at LinkedIn this Thursday! Not sure how it's gonna go but an interesting place to 🐝!