'The Vanishing of the Bees' at Arboretum Sunday

Where have all the bees gone? Learn more about Colony Collapse Disorder in "The Vanishing of the Bees," a celebrated documentary film made in 2009. The film will be screened at the  on Sun., Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.  

Earlier this year, when the film was screened at the Bickford Theater, Patch spoke with Tammy Toad Ryan, manager and beekeeper of Grow it Green Morristown's "Urban Farm at Lafayette." 

"I started [beekeeping] because a lot of people were keeping bees unnaturally, feeding them, treating them with chemicals ... I did not want honey that way," said Ryan, who also is the outreach coordinator for , on Morris Street.

It is her interest in bees, why they do what they do, and why they have recently begun to die in large numbers, that drew her to "Vanishing of the Bees." Ryan has worked with beekeepers that have sought alternatives to mass-produced honey harvesting, practices that often involve the use of chemicals, a strong focus of the film, which is narrated by Juno star Ellen Page.

Neonicotinoids, a nicotine based product, is discussed in "Vanishing of the Bees," which has been used on seeds. The bees then feed from the flowers those seeds eventually become and are poisoned by the chemical.

Ryan said there is evidence to indicate those neonicotinoids are persistent in soil, long after someone has stopped putting the chemical on the seeds. "There's a lot of studies into this right now," she said.

"The movie talks about that and how the [bee's] nervous system is affected," Ryan said.

A more natural process, Ryan said, is "a little bit more hands off" than the more aggressive practices used by commercial honey producers. It involves "getting a hive, getting some bees and observing them. You're not going into the hive every week ... you're attuning to the bees and studying them and seeing what they need in order to survive."

This "hands-off" approach allows nature to take its course, letting the weak bees die to allow the stronger bees to thrive.

When the bees have capped the honey in their combs, a frame of the container is put into an extractor, which uses centrifical force to pull the honey out, "and then you have the deliciousness," Ryan said.

Yield can vary greatly, due to season, conditions and, again, because of the beekeeper's more observational approach. While in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ryan was able to collect 60 pounds of honey in one season, due to the diversity of flowers in the city.

Last year, bees kept near Villa Walsh Academy collected no honey, due to a lack of flowers in the area.

Despite the lack of yield, Ryan said she, nor anyone she knows, has dealt with "Colony Collapse Disorder," which no one has yet to find a complete explanation for. It has, however, been attributed to many things, including man-made pollution, the use of chemicals, even cell phone towers. 

Ryan said "Vanishing of the Bees" would appeal to just about anyone "who cares about the state of the world.

"Bees are an indicator species and they're dying off. So, we should all be concerned," she said.

Admission to the film screening is free, but the Arboretum asks attendees, "Please don’t bring your own popcorn – we have nice snacks for sale at reasonable prices." The film is suitable for ages 9+. Call now for a reservation at 973-326-7603.