Give Catawba College officials praise for not taking the easy way out of the bee infestation at the Robertson College Community Center. Rather than kill the invading horde, the college has brought in experts at saving and moving unwanted critters — alive.

The college practices what it preaches when it comes to protecting the environment.

The bee problem that prompted the college to move commencement exercises and cancel some other events is not totally unprecedented. A person attending a graduation program a year or two ago suffered a bee sting inside Keppel Auditorium. Bats have also been spotted winging their way around the building. Perhaps that’s to be expected any time you have a huge, open space that is not in use 24/7.

Wouldn’t you know it? By the time workers from Animal Control Experts started covering vents at the Robertson Center Tuesday, the swarms that once occupied nearby trees and buzzed the building seemed to have nearly disappeared. Don’t be fooled. They’re just lying low — flying low? — for the time being.

Meanwhile, it’s good to know these priceless pollinators will persevere. Pesticides, mites and other unfriendly conditions have put a pox on the bee population, and that could be perilous for produce and flowers. The world needs more of whatever Catawba has that’s making bees proliferate.