Free honey, board game nights and a beekeeper suit? Sign me up! The Beekeeping Club on campus is returning this spring, and they’re offering a unique and hands-on experience for students. To those who find the idea of working with bees a little daunting, don’t worry! According to the club’s president, Nic Angelichio ‘26, “There are a lot of ways students can get involved in the club, even if you don’t like bees. Last semester, we ran a booth at the Stags Hospitality’s farmers market to sell honey we had and to raise awareness for beekeeping.”
The main way for students to get involved will be working with the hives, which the club hopes to have on campus this spring. Once the hives are on campus, students will be able to take care of the bees and harvest honey.
The Beekeeping club is also a way to get involved and give back to the Fairfield community. The bees tend to pollinate many different kinds of flowers in the area, making the local wildflower honey so special. Last year the club adopted a hive at a local apiary (this is beekeeper lingo for a collection of beehives) and was able to give tours of the hive and harvest honey in the fall. Angelichio says, “it was really a great way to support local beekeepers while gaining knowledge from them and also getting honey”.
Have a lot on your plate? Don’t worry! The club is low-stress and low-commitment. They try to meet once a month in Canisius or Langguth Hall. The meetings can be informative about the beekeeping process, or just for fun, like the board game night they held last semester.
Harvesting honey allows Fairfield students to learn about bees firsthand. Beekeepers wear suits and veiled hats which protect them from getting stung, so they can understand the fascinating inner workings of the hive. Angelichio says he got hooked on taking care of bees in high school, and was most interested in how they communicate using pheromones, an invisible chemical substance, to tell each other what to do.
The Beekeeping Club is excited to return for the spring semester, and is looking for new members! “We hope that by spring we get approval for hives on campus that will allow us to teach students about beekeeping and create delicious honey for everyone on campus,” Angelichio said.
If you are interested in joining the Beekeeping Club or have any questions, email dominic.angelichio@student.fairfield.edu. The club is a great way to support local Beekeepers, help the environment and get a little free honey!
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