Bee-utiful Malls: Long Beach Shopping Center Welcomes Bees to its Premises
On an afternoon in late summer, the bees that live at a Long Beach mall were flying high, winging their way back to their hives atop a parking garage.
The Hive’s Happy and Healthy
Upon their return, they emptied the “pollen pants” they were sporting on their hind legs to make food for the colony’s offspring. The colorful clusters of pollen are a sign of the bees are well and producing more honey than they need to eat.
“Your bees are healthy, happy, and looking good,” the beekeeper’s monthly report to the mall’s owner said. “We were able to make a hefty harvest from Hive 2.”
A Growing Trend in Commercial Properties
The owners of the 2nd & PCH outdoor mall in Long Beach have two hives that produce as much as 20 pounds of honey per year. The arrival of the bees at 2nd & PCH came at the invitation of CenterCal Properties, which owns the outdoor mall. Treated like valued – albeit nonpaying – tenants running a business, not interlopers to be shooed away, their presence reflects a growing trend among owners of shopping centers and other commercial buildings such as offices looking to set their properties apart from the competition and underscore their commitment to improving the environment.
Creating a Bee-Friendly Environment
To make their jobs easier, CenterCal Properties has landscaped the area with hanging baskets, gardens, and planters raising fragrant native plants that bees find appealing, such as Spanish lavender, Tuscan blue rosemary, and yarrow. The bees also travel miles away in their search for nectar, which they collect in their stomachs and bring back to make honey.
A Healthy Hive, A Healthy Environment
The bees, which are bred to be docile, do little to make their presence known, said Samantha Lopez, general manager of the upscale $100-million mall on Pacific Coast Highway overlooking Alamitos Bay. On a recent afternoon, as ocean breezes cooled the mall, not a bee was in sight as visitors strolled past bee-friendly flora on their way to such stores as Johnny Was and Anthropologie, or relaxed among greenery-filled planters and pots outside Shake Shack and Whole Foods Market.
A Sweet Deal for Shoppers and the Environment
The bees’ presence and the honey they make help promote 2nd & PCH at a time when owners labor to create memorable identities for their malls and offer experiences shoppers can’t get when they buy online. In August, the shopping center celebrated World Honey Bee Day with a kid-oriented party that included a “pollinator scavenger hunt” to find bee-inspired fun facts hidden among storefronts. Prizes were products produced from the center’s hives, including small jars of honey, honey-based lip balm, and seed packs for native California plants. A contest to name the queen of each hive is coming up.
A Sweet Investment for Real Estate Companies
Investors commonly track the environmental sustainability of their holdings as a measure of their desirability, and commercial property landlords typically incorporate ESG initiatives – environmental, social, and governance – into their properties. Bees are an easy win on both fronts as executives tend to find bees more charismatic than, say, carbon reduction programs and wastewater management.
Conclusion
The honey produced at the Long Beach mall tastes different from honey made at CenterCal malls near Portland and Salt Lake City because the bees are collecting pollen and nectar from different kinds of local flowers in each location. The bees’ presence is a symbol of a growing trend among commercial properties, one that benefits both the environment and the bottom line.
FAQs
Q: Why do bees matter?
A: Bees are important pollinators, responsible for pollinating many plant species, including those that produce fruit, nuts, and seeds. Without bees, many crops would not be able to reproduce, and our food supply would be severely impacted.
Q: What is the goal of the bee program at 2nd & PCH?
A: The goal is to keep bees, make honey, and promote environmental sustainability while providing a unique experience for shoppers.
Q: How does the honey produced at 2nd & PCH taste different from honey produced at other locations?
A: The honey produced at 2nd & PCH tastes different from honey made at CenterCal malls near Portland and Salt Lake City because the bees are collecting pollen and nectar from different kinds of local flowers in each location.
Q: What is the purpose of the bee program at One Westlake?
A: The bee program at One Westlake is part of the social component of the ESG program, providing a home for bees to pollinate local vegetation and produce honey for tenants and stakeholders.
Q: How does the bee program benefit the community?
A: The bee program benefits the community by providing a unique experience, promoting environmental sustainability, and supporting local beekeepers and honey production.
