Bentley Motors is abuzz with new employees.
Famous for its “flying B” emblem, the luxury car maker introduced 120,000 “flying bees” of a different kind.
With the help of local beekeepers, two national hives of British Apis Mellifera honeybees have been installed at the edge of Bentley’s Crewe factory in England.
The insects are settling into their new home—grassland sown with bee-friendly wildflowers—and are already showing “promising signs” for the first honey harvest this summer.
Each hive has the potential to create around 15kg (approximately 50 jars) of honey.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our environmental footprint and achieve our goal of carbon neutral operations,” Peter Bosch, member of the Board for Manufacturing at Bentley, said in a statement.
(via Bentley Motors)
“We already have the largest solar carport in the UK on our site—which means that all of our electricity use is now either solar or certified green,” Bosch boasted. “So we’ve also started to look at ways we can use our site to increase local biodiversity.”
Bees are vanishing at an alarming rate, and humans are largely to blame: We are responsible for the two most prominent causes of death—pesticides and habitat loss.
More big businesses, however, are doing their part to help save one of the most effective pollinators on Earth.
Ford last year launched a global beekeeping program with six hives at its Dearborn World Headquarters in Michigan. The program supports honeybee populations, as well as the local ecosystem and gardening and farming communities.
Now, Bentley wants to join the fight.
“Our ‘flying bees’ are honeybees that have been bred by local beekeepers, Bosch explained. “With their help, we’re checking on them every week and it’s great to see that they’re already starting to produce the first Bentley honey.”
More on Geek.com:
- San Diego Padres Criticized For Needless Bee Murders
- Proof Is In the Honey: Urban Bees Can Help Monitor Pollution
- World’s Largest Bee Rediscovered in Wild
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