Royal Lancaster Hotel installs beehives
The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London is to keep honey bees to help halt their decline in numbers and continue the hotel`s commitment to protect the environment.
Hives housing half a million bees are set to be installed on the Hyde Park hotel`s roof on July 13 and will be tended by a four-strong `bee team` made up of staff from the hotel.
Honey produced by the hotel`s bees - expected to be around 40kg each year - will be served to guests who will be able to eat it direct from the honeycomb at the hotel`s restaurant Island. Wax from the hives will be used to make candles for gifts.
A spokeswoman for the hotel said: "The installation of the beehives is a continuation of the Royal Lancaster Hotel’s commitment to protecting the environment.
"The hotel holds the Bronze Award from Green Tourism for London for its dedication to green initiatives, and was the only hotel to win an award for sustainable tourism at the Visit London Awards 2008."
The number of bees in the UK has fallen sharply in the last two years due to disease, bad summer weather conditions and other environmental factors. Their decline has led to fears that food production could be severely affected.
