Locals Learn About Bees at Wilmette Public Library

The ’s Greener Choices event for November was the showing of the film Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? The movie was a lovely exploration of the lives of bees, what they do for us, what’s happening to them, and how very important they are to our wellbeing.

Many beekeepers across Europe and the United States spoke about their love for bees and their honey. Many had been beekeepers since they were young and had grown up knowing they would continue raising bees. One beekeeper talked about beekeeping as a zen experience. Others breed bees for business.

Every one of them is concerned with the overall health of bees and their colonies because so much agricultural production depends on the pollination activities of bees. A few people have begun bee sanctuaries where bees can function naturally and be out of harm’s way.

The movie also explored the many possible reasons for the bee epidemic Colony Collapse Disorder — when bees disappear from a working, viable hive and never return to finish production. No one knows exactly what the cause or causes are, but there are speculations about climate change, use of pesticides and herbicides (many with neural toxins), monoculture in agriculture (loss of food habitat), transporting bees for hundreds of miles (extra stress) and inbreeding (which weakens bees). One interesting note is that Australia has not had Colony Collapse Disorder. The reason, as suggested in the film, is that Australia’s ban on pesticides prevents the poisoning of bee colonies.

There were bee keepers in attendance at both showings of the movie. Jenna TerMolen and her husband have been raising bees in Evanston for more than 20 years. They bring bees into local schools to give children an up-close look at honeybees and to help them understand how they work and how important they are. One couple from Wilmette raises their bees in Wisconsin because it is not allowed in Wilmette

The movie made the point that bees are our canary in the coal mine and they are perhaps signaling us that all is not well with our earth. It suggests we should pay attention to the deterioration of our environment.

Everyone enjoyed the movie and learned a lot about bees and their importance to a healthy environment.

The Wilmette Public Library has a copy of the movie if you wish to see it too.