Beekeepers are reporting an alarming decline in their honey bee populations. The situation seems especially serious given that bees pollinate 75 percent of the fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in America. Research has shown that insect pollination actually improves the fruit’s quality and value.
British tea brand Taylors of Harrogate recognizes the importance of bees to the flavor of their fruit and herbal teas. To raise awareness of bees’ crucial roles as pollinators, the tea company has built a Wes Anderson-inspired bee hotel to give these insects some much needed R&R.
The aptly-named Grand Beedapest Hotel boasts many luxury features for hardworking honey bees, including a gym and spa.
The hotel also includes a restaurant, bar and dance floor for the hard-partying guests. The pièce de résistance is a deluxe queen bee suite, with a special shoutout to the queen herself, Beyoncé.
Taylors of Harrogate hopes their bee hotel will inspire people to make their own homes and gardens friendlier to bees. “Bees are so important in helping to provide great flavour, but less attention has been paid to show how urban areas can be made more pollinator-friendly,” Kate Halloran from Taylors of Harrogate said in a statement. “The aim of the bee hotel is to not only educate and entertain, but to also inspire action.”
Here’s hoping people open their hearts and their hives to these buzzy little guys!
