# More than honey



## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

New 1 1/2 hr movie/documentary on netflix if you subscribe to it. Fairly recent release 2012 . 
Not sure if it has been around longer elsewhere.
Very good videography. Apiaries from Germany to the CA almond fields to 
Arizona to Australia. Talks about current issues affecting beekeepers.
Sign up for a month and watch it free .


http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/More_Than_Honey/70275188?trkid=13462100


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

woodsy said:


> New 1 1/2 hr movie/documentary on netflix if you subscribe to it. Fairly recent release 2012 .
> Not sure if it has been around longer elsewhere.
> Very good videography. Apiaries from Germany to the CA almond fields to
> Arizona to Australia. Talks about current issues affecting beekeepers.
> ...


Sadly I get a note : Netfix has not arrived in your part of the world yet

Enjoy it!


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I went on Net Flix on my Windows 8 and couldn't find it under Documenteries. I couldn't find a place to enter a Title to search for it.


----------



## buzz (Nov 12, 2011)

You can download this documentary from the links at this location,, High def or standard def

http://www.icefilms.info/ip.php?v=167576&


----------



## tefer2 (Sep 13, 2009)

Thanks for the link, I'm watching it now.
Helps with bee withdrawal!


----------



## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> I went on Net Flix on my Windows 8 and couldn't find it under Documenteries. I couldn't find a place to enter a Title to search for it.


The link i posted doesn't get you to it ?


----------



## NowThen (Nov 26, 2008)

I've watched it twice in the last week. That opening scene is wonderful! I'm still struggling with how the producers jump back and forth from the bucolic beekeeper in Switzerland to the commercial outfit in the California almonds. The film appears to have been produced to make a commentary on CCD, but touches on many subjects including bee democracy, Karl Von Frisch, foulbrood and queen rearing. With all of that skipping around between topics, I had a hard time following the CCD thread. If I were not a beekeeper, I might walk away from this film not liking John Miller and his outfit very much. With all of that being said, I really enjoyed this film. The videography is amazing. I also realized that I want to move to the Swiss Alps.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

woodsy said:


> The link i posted doesn't get you to it ?


Probably does. I just thought that since I have Netflix on my computer that I'd be able to find it that way too.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

I had a chance to see it at an Arthouse in downtown Manhattan with a presentation by the director.

I can't wait for the DVD to add it to my collection.


----------



## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

NowThen- Well said. It also would've been nice if they added subtitles.


----------



## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Having never been to California, I was left speechless at the magnitude of the almond business there. The visual really helped to put things into perspective for me. A picture really is worth a thousand words. 

I've never visited a commercial beekeeping operation, but after watching this film I don't think I would ever have a desire to build up to that level. I think I'll stick with my handful of colonies and continue to treasure the serenity and peace I find while interacting with the bees. Maybe what was recorded is not representative of a typical commercial operation, but if I were put into that position there would be no further joy in it for me. To each his own I guess.


----------



## Beestricken (May 16, 2013)

I didn't see this thread until today. 
I watched this yesterday, but this is how I learned about it

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...lix-Bee-Documentary-quot-More-Than-Honey-quot


and there are huge fields of almond trees not that far from me.


----------



## Bill Davis (Jul 16, 2012)

beesohappy said:


> NowThen- Well said. It also would've been nice if they added subtitles.


That was going to be my question why no subtitles? There was some great shots of bees and the scenery in the alps was amazing.


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

You will find that a version with subs did come out in late Dec - at least in Australia and we are usually months behind the US


----------



## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

I had sub titles on the version i watched on Netflix, also went to see it in the theater in Manhattan as well...who caught the opening scene of the queen emerging from her...upside down cell.


----------



## Widdy (Jan 12, 2012)

I felt so bad for the old man when he had to burn everything. Especially when he asked how do you get it and she said from imported bees, like the ones his neighbor had earlier in the video.

Other than money what does a beekeeper get out of the almond bloom? I didn't see a substantial buildup in the hives. Does it provide the pollen for early brood building?


----------



## NowThen (Nov 26, 2008)

Beesohappy,
I found that my older LG Blue-Ray player did not show subtitles for some Netflix movies - including this one. My computers and the kids' Wii shows the subtitles without a problem.


----------



## bevy's honeybees (Apr 21, 2011)

rjmeyer said:


> I had sub titles on the version i watched on Netflix, also went to see it in the theater in Manhattan as well...who caught the opening scene of the queen emerging from her...upside down cell.


My Netflix has an option that pops up on the bottom of the screen about subtitles that I turned on. I think it appeared when I paused the playback. 
I had time only for the first few minutes. I hope to watch it all later tonight.


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

bevy's honeybees said:


> My Netflix has an option that pops up on the bottom of the screen about subtitles that I turned on. I think it appeared when I paused the playback.
> I had time only for the first few minutes. I hope to watch it all later tonight.


Enjoy it! I had the luck to get my hands on an original version. I was born in in Switzerland and speak the local lingo as well as German.
Some of the photography is amazing. Even the start - watching a queen emerge is great.


----------



## Cascade Hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

You can find some download info here: https://www.facebook.com/morethanhoneyfilm


----------



## Just Krispy (Aug 1, 2013)

I had to shut if off and walk away for awhile after watching the bees get nuked by the fungicide in California. It doesn't cast commercial beekeeping in a very good light. The bee operation highlighted shows the downside for sure. Bees not allowed to keep any honey. No wonder they are so sick.


----------



## Just Krispy (Aug 1, 2013)

Sub titles can be turned on Netflix


----------



## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Just krispy..The comments i've heard are that many felt that movie didn't cast a good impression on beekeeping in the US in good light..slightly bias many felt...Having seen it several times myself i'd tend to agree..that being said time and content is limited to some degree and i enjoyed the movie overall.


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

rjmeyer said:


> Just krispy..The comments i've heard are that many felt that movie didn't cast a good impression on beekeeping in the US in good light..slightly bias many felt...Having seen it several times myself i'd tend to agree..that being said time and content is limited to some degree and i enjoyed the movie overall.


I have never seen the Almond pollination first hand. Whish part is biased? The distance travelled? The monoculture they feed on? The spraying? The way they extract the Honey? They way they do splits? They way and what of feeding?
As Miller willingly admits "driven by greed or fear"


----------



## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Just Krispy said:


> I had to shut if off and walk away for awhile after watching the bees get nuked by the fungicide in California. It doesn't cast commercial beekeeping in a very good light. The bee operation highlighted shows the downside for sure. Bees not allowed to keep any honey. No wonder they are so sick.


People don't watch feel good movies so they have to take that angle.


----------



## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Max2..in my opinion based on my observations watching the movie..you have a director showing beautiful snow dotted mountains in the Alps with fresh spring bloom...here a monoculture of Almond crop, a third generation older gentleman individualy caring for a handful of colonies..here tens of thousands of hives being fork lifted and trucked cross country..there one man solomely burning a hive with foul brood..here scooping pails of bees and running mechanized equipment over hives to conduct splits like were dividing up M&M's...i understand it is depicting two extreames but seemed to me Europe good America Bad..maybe im wrong but i'm not the only one who made this comment and some from non beekeeping people who watched the movie.


----------



## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

I watched this film last night. The cinematography was great, and the in hive shots are better than any other I have seen. With that being said the “story line” was disjointed and did not carry the viewer through the film. No one subject was covered enough to create a complete package of information, the narrator’s story about his grandfather didn’t even seem to wrap up well. In short the “documentary” was fun to watch, but there is no concise story or message gained from the film.

I did enjoy seeing the Miller’s division line, I have been curious after reading about it in the “Beekeepers Lament”.


----------



## Just Krispy (Aug 1, 2013)

Well after watching how its done in California and almonds. its no wonder the bees are dying.


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

rjmeyer said:


> Max2..in my opinion based on my observations watching the movie..you have a director showing beautiful snow dotted mountains in the Alps with fresh spring bloom...here a monoculture of Almond crop, a third generation older gentleman individualy caring for a handful of colonies..here tens of thousands of hives being fork lifted and trucked cross country..there one man solomely burning a hive with foul brood..here scooping pails of bees and running mechanized equipment over hives to conduct splits like were dividing up M&M's...i understand it is depicting two extreames but seemed to me Europe good America Bad..maybe im wrong but i'm not the only one who made this comment and some from non beekeeping people who watched the movie.


True!

I have worked and visited about 1/2 of the US states and I'm no expert on the US economy. I have also worked in Switzerland for more than 20 years.
Somehow Switzerland's manufacturing has survived and much of the rural lifestyle has too - farmers markets are doing well and there are lots of direct sales from farmers and small beekeepers are the norm.
When I grew up Almonds where only available at Christmas time - now, thanks to the Californian Almond industry, Almonds are cheap all year round. But is life better? Are the Miller's really part of a sustainable future?
I'm pretty well retired from my business these days and operate a small, mixed farm - and pondering where it all will end?


----------



## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

non sensational movies about bees don't sell or raise funds..... Maybe we should do a kickstarter and do a move on the good commercial beek and the positive sides.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Just Krispy said:


> Sub titles can be turned on Netflix


How?


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Just Krispy said:


> Well after watching how its done in California and almonds. its no wonder the bees are dying.


Will that influence your consumption of almond milk?


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

max2 said:


> - and pondering where it all will end?


Where it will end? It won't end. It will morph into something else, something in some way different from the way things are now just as farming in Iowa now is different from farming as it was when my Grandfather farmed there.

The Miller's are part of an organic system, a complex organism. Not simple look at what they do and why they do it is adequate. It could be put into simple words, but one's understanding would be inadequate.

W/ modern GPS technology and tractor lights why can't the spraying be done at night? In wide open fields of thousands of acres computer guided tractors plough plant, and harvest while someone rides in the tractor to make sure things operate the way they are supposed to. Seems like almonds could be sprayed that way too. But I am sure I don't know enough to fully understand why it isn't.


----------



## frazzledfozzle (May 26, 2010)

you could make the exact same movie with almost any of our farmed animals. the difference between keeping bees\animals on a hobby scale compared to actually making a living from them is huge. you only need to look at poultry, beef, pigs and the fishing industry to see that.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Honeybees are considered to be not only a keystone species, but also an indicator species.

So, I don't think that the comparison to other livestock really applies.

The term 'bee-haver' has already been coined.

Perhaps the term 'bee-slaver' should be coined to balance things out.


----------



## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

rjmeyer said:


> ...i understand it is depicting two extreames but seemed to me Europe good America Bad...


This was the one of the themes I saw throughout the film. To some extent there was a negative sense on any industrial production, from the story about the grandfathers preserves company going under, to package bees and queens with the the apex being the almond pollination industry.


----------



## Beestricken (May 16, 2013)

Just Krispy said:


> Sub titles can be turned on Netflix





sqkcrk said:


> How?


I watched it on an ipad and there was a little icon on the top right corner that looked like notes. When you pushed it the subtitle options came up. Watching it on the computer, the little note icon is on the bottom right next to the button that makes it go full screen.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

I saw it at the Film Forum. Markus Imhoof spoke afterwards and answered questions from the audience.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

RiodeLobo said:


> This was the one of the themes I saw throughout the film.


We see what we see, not necessarily what the film makers intended. I thought it was a pretty even handed display of beekeeping in a number of different parts of the World. It depicted what it is like to be a commercial migratory beekeeper in a nonjudgemental manner. Mr. Miller expressed his circumstances and conflicts quite well. What is a beekeeper to do when growers spray fungicides while bees are in the trees?


----------



## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

sqkcrk said:


> We see what we see, not necessarily what the film makers intended.


Quite true, I don't think the content was objectionable just the editing, as it seemed to contrast the rural small scale (European) and commercial (American) beekeeping system in a biased way. However that my have been my bias as many honeybee documentaries I have seen seem to take an anti-industrial tilt. I am not saying it was not a good film, I really enjoyed the cinematography, particularly the flight and in the hive sequences. The section in Australia was very interesting as well.


----------



## frazzledfozzle (May 26, 2010)

WLC said:


> Honeybees are considered to be not only a keystone species, but also an indicator species.
> 
> So, I don't think that the comparison to other livestock really applies.
> 
> ...


I would suggest that those who practice the bond method are bee havers,

I would also suggest that so called sideliners and hobbyist would lose a higher percentage of beehives than "commercial" beekeepers, certainly here in NZ and possibly in the US.

One of the differences between livestock and bees is that most people will treat and vaccinate their livestock whereas with bees it's not so easy or so "fashionable" to treat.

I think the comparison with other livestock is perfectly valid if you are comparing hobby beekeeping with 12 hives and commercial beekeeping with 12000 its exactly the same as comparing the farming of 2 cows in the back paddock with 12000 cows on a cattle ranch, apples and oranges.


----------



## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Maybe we got it backwards in terms of who the real 'bee havers' are?

Perhaps the folks trying to develop resistant stocks, by whatever means, are the real 'beekeepers'?

Conversely, if you're treating Honeybees like 'chatel', then that would make you the 'bee haver'.

After having seen enough films like 'More Than Honey', I think that it would be fair to say that it's an underlying/unspoken message in these types of films.


----------



## D Semple (Jun 18, 2010)

FF and WLC, do we have to throw jabs in every thread? Geez give it a rest.


----------



## frazzledfozzle (May 26, 2010)

D Semple said:


> FF and WLC, do we have to throw jabs in every thread? Geez give it a rest.


I didn't think I was jabbing at anyone? 

It was my opinion that the bond method is a bee haver way of keeping bees for the pure fact you aren't "keeping" bees. Bond method proponents will always say the bees are left to their own devices so therefore stands to reason they aren't being kept? 

Can you point out to me exactly what I've said that upsets you?

If you have a problem with my posts feel free to iggy me


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

In Sichuan Province, China, I didn't notice the pear trees getting sprayed w/ fungicides while the pollinators were in the trees. I wonder why not?


----------

