After a Harsh Winter, South Campus Bees Are Buzzing Again
As Central New York awakens from the slumber of a brutal winter, the South Campus honeybees are getting back to work.
The University is home to 10 honeybee hives, which are overseen by the department. The University is a , promoting the benefits of pollinators and native plants.
Want to learn more about this unique campus initiative? In celebration of Earth Month, beekeeper Bob Faulkner will present a on Tuesday, April 7, from 3 to 4 p.m. in 500 Hall of Languages. He will discuss how the hives are maintained, the process of harvesting honey and the benefits of pollinators. The session is free and open to all.
Faulkner sat down with SU Today to discuss how the bees work to produce honey and what it takes to maintain the hives.
For bees, winter is about survival; they rely on stores collected throughout the year to endure the cold season. Spring represents a period of growth and hope as colonies build and gather food in preparation for the following winter.
The high survival rate on South Campus can be attributed to proactive management of the bees in early spring of 2025; having sufficient food stores in the winter of 2024 and successfully controlling the “varroa destructor mites” that have plagued the Apis mellifera honey bees in the United States since the mid-1970s.
South Campus is an ideal location, offering hundreds of acres of biodiverse plants that produce pollen and nectar.
Based on the 100% survival rate recorded on March 5, we estimate each colony could produce 75 to 100 pounds of honey. This brings the projected total for the upcoming season to approximately 750 to 1,000 pounds, or half a ton of the delicious, sweet, yummy food.
Anyone interested in learning more about the bees can reach out to Sustainability Management at sustain@syr.edu.
