The buzz around town is to not have buzzing too close to town.
The Village of Orland Park is looking at a municipal community beekeeping apiary pilot area and prefers to use Stellwagen Farm for its location.
At the Oct. 19 Committee of the Whole Meeting, Recreation and Parks Director Ray Piattoni outlined a plan in which four sites were under consideration. He wanted it to be somewhat remote but not too isolated and preferred it to be a safe distance from homes and people, even though the honey bees to be used are non-aggressive.
Other areas investigated were Schumack Farm, Arbor Lake and Dr. Marsh.
“We really like Stellwagen – it has all of the desired setbacks,” Piattoni said. “The nearest home is approximately 532 feet away, the nearest activity area is about 200 feet. The playground is over 800 feet. The path to the west is more than 400 feet.
“It’s a good location because it lends itself to the agricultural environment and we can do some educational programs out there.”
He added it has adequate parking and electricity, and a camera could be added for safety.
Trustee William Healy pointed out that years ago, there was a shortage of bees and Piattoni said there is still an issue with the downturn in the number of bees throughout the country.
“Bees help everything grow,” Piattoni said. “Without bees, we have no food. Without food you can’t eat.”
Piattoni also wanted it known that the risk of stings is small.
“There is a big fear of being stung by the bees,” he said. “Those come from yellowjackets and have a little more black in their body and are not as fuzzy. (Yellowjackets) do sting, they are aggressive and they die off.
“Honey bees mind their own business. They are looking for food in the hives and they are not looking to bother people.”
Those who are interested in keeping hives at the pilot site will be limited to two per person and will be charged $150 annually per beekeeper for residents and $225 for non-residents.
Piattoni said the next phase will focus on site-specific verification, neighborhood and public outreach, public education, legal and insurance review, the final layout, site improvements and costs and operating rules prior to implementation.
He said that life around the Stellwagen Farm should be normal except during Civil War presentations when cannons are fired.
Village manager George Koczwara said that the village’s code for people who want to keep bees in their backyard is “silent” for the time being, but that could change if the pilot program is successful. The village could ban beekeeping in back yards.
