Honeybees have taken up residence at the Waldorf-Astoria New York, one of New York City’s most famous institutions and a favorite stopover for many U.S. presidents.
The Waldorf-Astoria New York welcomed this spring 20,000 new guests to their rooftop penthouse where the bees will come to roost every day after sipping on nectar from nearby Central and Bryant Parks.
It’s expected that the colony will eventually multiply to 300,000 and provide up to 500 lbs (227 kg) of honey a year for the hotel restaurant.
Interest in urban beekeeping has become a growing trend within big cities, not only as a means towards sustainability but also as a secondary measure to resuscitate a species that has undergone traumatic stress over the last few years.
In a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, young larvae and pupae were being abandoned and left to fend for themselves, resulting in massive die-offs.
Theories abound as to possible causes, including pesticides, pathogens, genetically modified crops and cell phone radiation.
Why is their fate so important? Because pollinators like honeybees are responsible for one-third of the Western world’s food supply, says the beekeeping industry.
The Waldorf-Astoria follows in the heels of another local landmark in Toronto, Canada, where the Fairmont Royal York Hotel established an apiary in 2008.
Last fall, beekeepers recorded their biggest haul to date, harvesting 800 lbs (363 kg) of honey that was used in the hotel restaurant.
It’s the same story in Paris, where colonies of bees get prime real estate atop iconic landmarks like the Palais Garnier, the rooftops of the Opera Bastille, the Grand Palais, and the Luxembourg Gardens and the rooftop of Louis Vuitton’s headquarters.
But it doesn’t come up all roses for urban honey-making. As pointed out by a 2010 story in US publication The Atlantic, bees are foragers who will gorge on anything that’s sweet, including artificial sugars from candy and maraschino cherry factories.
Photo credit: Kathy Willens / AP
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