PODCAST/GALLERY: Lehigh Beekeeping Club tends to hives and promotes the importance of bees

Unknown to the majority of Lehigh students, two bee hives reside on Mountaintop Campus.

These hives, which each contain between 30,000-40,000 bees, are tended to by the Lehigh Beekeeping Club, led by faculty advisor Andy Januszak.

Many students visit the hives, ensuring the bees are thriving and feeding them if necessary.

Some students like Sabrina Fineberg, the former president of the club, say they feel relaxed in the presence of the bees.

“It’s the most comforting sound,” Fineberg said, referring to the buzzing noise the bees make.

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Beekeeping club members pour a sugar water mixture into the feeder located at the bottom of the hive. While the honey the bees produce is their main food source, this sugar water is given to them while the weather is still warm so they can build up their honey supply for the winter. (Delaney McCaffrey/B&W Staff)

Being the caretakers of these creatures can also prove difficult at times. Last spring, members of the club discovered thousands of the bees had mysteriously died. The hives have since recovered in recent months.

Club members continue to work hard to ensure the survival of the hives and to promote the importance of bees around campus. Each spring, the club harvests the honey the bees have made and give it away on campus with a donation to the club.

Students interested in learning more about the Beekeeping Club can email [email protected] or visit its Instagram, @lehighbees.