By Anne Laberge – Contributor

On Monday, Sept. 16, Bishop’s Bees took the Art Lab by storm. Around 15 people partook in a honey extraction extravaganza that lasted from 10:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to learn about where honey comes from and how to make it buyer-ready. From beehive to jar, Bishop’s Bees got to work.

The first step was to retrieve the honey-filled frames from the beehives and move them to a closed space to prevent the bees from chasing after us (which was only semi-successful, since one stung me on the head, but it was worth it). Next, we had to transport the frames to the Art Lab on campus. Once the space was sticky-proofed, we began the process of ‘de-capping’ the honey frames, removing the wax film, sealing the honey to the comb. Isabel Nguyen, an Environmental Club co-lead who volunteered for the event, found the de-capping process very zen and relaxing.

Once the frames were sufficiently de-capped, we put them in what is called the extractor. The extractor flings the honey from the frames onto its inside walls using centripetal force, all thanks to hand-cranking it (and if you’re looking for another exercise to add to your back-and-bi day, this is it). The honey that collects at the bottom of the extractor is then ready for filtering. After filtering, we jar the honey and prepare it for distribution!

As many folks pointed out at the Student Success Fair, Bishop’s Bees has been quite dormant for the past few years. The club was founded in 2017 through the Green Levy, a fund that supports student sustainability projects on campus. While there have been many dedicated beekeepers keeping the club alive over the years, the club hopes to gain lost momentum by giving club members more opportunities for hands-on learning. Since the club is totally reliant on the bees’ rhythm and seasonal tendencies, it can be challenging to keep interest going when we meet so scarcely. Nevertheless, this was a very successful club event with lots of intrigue from fellow Bishop’s Bee-ers!Thanks to the people who came out and volunteered, we managed to make over 100 honey jars. To get your hands on some Bishop’s home-grown honey, come by the farmer’s market on Oct. 3 to see your very own Bishop’s Bees club selling their honey! Word on the street is that it’s liquid gold.