19 September, 2014

September 26, 2014, The World’s Hardest Worker: The Life and Times of the Honeybee


The World’s Hardest Worker: The Life and Times of the Honeybee
Presenters: Adam and Jen Miller

Recent documentaries, such as Vanishing of the Bees, and newspaper features, such as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s series Bees on the Brink, have done much to draw attention to the dramatic decline of honeybee populations in recent years.  Thanks to these features, pesticides such as neonicontinoids and the disease “colony collapse disorder” are now common topics of discussion, and “bee-friendly” gardens are a popular trend.

But apart from this imminent crisis, how much do you actually know about honeybees?  Minnesota beekeepers Adam and Jen Miller will describe the lifecycle and habits of honeybees, point out differences between honeybees and other insects such as wasps, discuss the challenges and rewards of keeping bees, and describe the process of harvesting honey.  Come with all of your questions about bees, and be prepared to be amazed!

Adam Miller is a software developer at Voya in downtown Minneapolis, and Jen Miller is a faculty member in the English department at Normandale Community College.  Together, they live in New Brighton with their two children; their 100,000+ bees live on a farm in Lake Elmo.