On Wednesday, October 18, the Beekeeping Club and the Pre-Health Society collaborate to organize a honey harvesting event, which includes honey bottling.

Members of the Pre-Health Society, including Ian Gray ’24, a Psychology major, Gouzia Svarajah ’24, a Biology major, and Veronica Turek ’24, also a Biology major, commence the event with a presentation on the medicinal and nutritional benefits of bees and honey. They delve into the intricate process of honey production.

When asked about his feelings regarding the event, Gray states, “It’s exciting to collaborate with another club on campus, which aligns with our mission statement. The turnout was fantastic, and it was an amazing experience working with the Beekeeping Club.”

Angie Diaz ’24, the Hive Captain of the Beekeeping Club, discusses the reasons behind the decline of bee populations, which include invasive species, habitat destruction, climate change, poor nutrition, and toxic pesticides. She emphasizes the potential harm caused by pesticide spraying during the spring season.

The Beekeeping Club has a faculty advisor, Amy Kelley ’14, the Life Science Coordinator, who provides guidance in routine beekeeping. Diaz explains the general beekeeping process, saying, “Honey is typically harvested in the summer, but due to the academic calendar at Union, we aim to harvest it as early as possible in the fall. In the fall, antibiotics are also administered. We do not extract all the honey from the bees; we leave them with a substantial amount. If they are running low on honey in the winter, we supply them with sugar as a food source.”

If you’re interested in getting involved with beekeeping, please contact Angie Diaz at [email protected].