STORRS, Conn. -- About 100,000 honeybees have been working since the spring making honey at the University of Connecticut.

On Thursday, those involved in the effort got to reap the rewards.

“We've got a little heater under here to keep it warm, and basically, it's just centrifugal force,” said Stephen Anthony, who has taken part in the effort. “Put it on a slow spin for 10 to 15 minutes and take the frame out, and the honey is dripping in the bottom. It's great. It's a beautiful thing.”

The combs are scraped of wax and placed into an extractor, said participant Amy Gronus, which spins the honey out into a smooth, sweet flow collected in a bucket. Each bucket holds about five gallons of honey, she said.

“So far, we've got 150 pounds, and that was with six boxes,” said Gronus. “With these, we'll probably get 100 to 120, which is excellent. We did really well. We got more than we expected to get.”

While the honey is being harvested, the bees are fed a diet of sugar water and medicine to keep mites away so they'll be ready to go once the hives are back in the field.

The honey, which needs no processing, will be used as a sweetener for coffee and tea in dining halls, UConn officials said, and for food preparation in breads and other recipes.