Visitors to Long Lane Farm may soon notice a buzz in the air coming from new beehives. The student-run organic farm, founded in 2004, spans an acre at the corner of Long Lane and Wadsworth Street. Several years ago, the farm maintained several beehives, which later fell into disrepair. This year, Charlotte Heyrman ’13 and Andrew Pezzullo ’13 have decided to revive apiculture, or beekeeping, at the farm.
The beehives will hopefully increase pollination and benefit local wildlife, according to Heyrman. She said that it is unlikely, though not impossible, that they will produce honey, at least in the first year.
According to Pezzullo, the idea of acquiring bees came up last winter, when farming activity slowed down due to the weather.
“Lack of motion is made up for in a bunch of fresh ideas,” Pezzullo wrote in an email to The Argus.
After deciding to go through with apiculture, Heyrman and Pezzullo attended an event sponsored by the Connecticut Beekeeping Association. They purchased the parts for two hives from a supplier in North Carolina. They have recently received the parts and expect the bees to arrive some time in April.
Pezzullo said that the hives should be fully operational by May.
“We are hoping to follow a natural beekeeping regimen, with no use of synthetic chemicals,” Pezzullo wrote.
Pezzullo said that the project is still in its beginning stages.
“Right now we are just building our knowledge base and getting others involved,” he wrote.
This Saturday at 2 p.m., there will be a beehive-making workshop at Outhouse. Any interested students are encouraged to attend.
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