Submitted by The Port of Olympia
Beekeepers from the Olympia Beekeepers Association (OBA) re-introduced two new colonies of bees at the Olympia Regional Airport in April. Around 30,000 bees were installed into two hives.
The bees spent time flying around and orienting themselves to the new location, taking note of landmarks around their hives and begin to lay the wax honeycomb foundation in which the queen bee laid eggs that grew into new bees.
Honey was harvested in September and 66 jars were filled and labeled as “Pure Runway 17 Honey”. The honey is being sold at the Port staff charity auction with proceeds benefitting SafePlace. The OBA hopes to have four hives installed at the airport in 2017.
The Port of Olympia and the OBA began a partnership in 2015 in response to the declining numbers of bee populations. Utilizing the open, green space at the airport and it’s secure, fenced-in setting provides an excellent location for honey bees.
