Sweet stingers

New Beekeeping Club makes honey

By David Kassis
The Collegian

It is one of the oldest forms of food production and dates back to around 13,000 B.C., yet Fresno State was without its very own beekeeping practice for the last two decades.

Enter Barbara and Evan Jessup, sisters who felt it was time to bring the age-old tradition back to campus. The Jessups were the perfect people to revive the Beekeeping Club at Fresno State. After all, it runs in their blood since their father is a beekeeper by trade.

“We grew up with [bees],” Barbara said. “We just wanted people to learn more about them and work with them.”

Andrew Lawson, a sixth-year assistant professor of entomology at Fresno State, is the faculty adviser of the Beekeeping Club.

“Last spring the girls had the idea for the club and wanted to gauge student interest,” Lawson said.

“We have not had a [beekeeping] class here in 20 years, but the university farm director said it sounded like a great project.”

Before long, the wheels were turning on the Jessups’ beekeeping idea. Through donations and university funding, the club was able to acquire six beehives, protective suits and various tools, which include a honey extractor.

Some of the duties that the club members are involved in include maintaining the beehives and extracting and bottling honey for sale at the Farm Market.

“Last spring we were given six hives for students to maintain at the orchards,” Lawson said. “We just did our first honey extraction, and will do the first bottling of honey on Nov. 17.”

While the extraction of honey is a big part of business for beekeepers, Lawson said there is an even greater demand to use the bees for pollination of crops.

“The university farm rents hives at bloom time to pollinate all of the orchard crops, especially almonds,” Lawson said. “Honey and pollination is a big business. The farm spent about $30,000 last year on it.”

Barbara Jessup hopes that the formation of the beekeeping club will again create interest in the practice, eventually bringing beekeeping classes back to the Fresno State curriculum.

“Right now there is not enough student interest,” Barbara said. “We are trying to drum up interest in the club.”

The Beekeeping Club consists of 17 members, and just recently wrote a constitution and elected officers in hopes of becoming officially recognized by Associated Students.

The club is comprised of students from several different majors. The majority comes from a plant science background, but the Beekeeping Club also has English, chemistry, biology and geology majors.

“Your major does not matter,” said Barbara, a sophomore geology major. “We just want people who are interested.”

Lawson, who has a background of expertise in insects and insect behavior, but not in particular with beekeeping, said the club is a great learning opportunity for students.

“I’m not in the business of beekeeping, but it is a good learning experience for all of us.”

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