16 October 2014
Beekeepers
have been welcomed onto the grounds of major international airports all over
the world. The unused acreage along the
sides of the runways is maintained to muffle noise. No one could find any practical use for the
vacant land until it was allowed to go back to natural, wild grassland.
Airports
invest a lot in a kind of firework, which is used to scare away large
birds. Geese and other large fowl can
create real problems if they collide with aircraft. But small birds and insects remain welcome
and are attracted to the wild grass habitat available on the grounds of most
airports.
Then,
someone got the idea of renting the unused land along the runways to
beekeepers. These grasslands had plenty
of blossoms to supply the bees with the nectar they use to make honey. And, the bees and their colonies are
undisturbed by the aircraft noise.
Now,
airport-produced honey and other bee-related products are sold or given away at
many international airports. In Germany,
the honey produced by its airport bees is regularly tested for toxins and
impurities. It turns out that honey is a
remarkably sensitive barometer of environmental pollution.
Now, honeybees
may be in line for jobs inside the
airport. A honeybee’s nose puts the nose
of a sniffer-dog to shame in terms of sensitivity. And bees are being used to detect the odors
of explosives, drugs and even contraband foodstuffs using a new technology
called a buzzbox.
The bees
don’t even have to leave the buzzbox they live in. Air is vented through the box and the bees’
reaction reveal the presence of the substance that the bees have been trained
to detect. Trained to detect? Yes, bees
can be trained to detect and react to specific odors. How long does the training take? The bee’s learning curve is amazingly
short. The bee’s ability to detect a
certain substance peaks after about 10 minutes of training. Yes, just 10 minutes.
Now, honeybees
live at the airport and will soon be working inside the airport. But why stop there. From any major airport, it’s only a short hop
to some of the world’s best hotels. And
these days, that’s where many honeybees are living and working in rooftop bee
yards.
Atlanta’s
Four Seasons Hotel houses their honeybees on a terrace giving guests a view of
the working colonies. The hotel spa
carries its own line of lip balm handmade with the beeswax from made by the
hotel’s bees. Of course, the honey is
used directly in food preparation and has spurred the development of new
cuisine items such as salted honey caramels.
Not to be
outdone, in Bradford, PA, The Lodge at Glendorn combines honey from its
apiaries with ice cream to create a unique version of honey panna cotta. And honey can smooth the taste of liquid
refreshments such as honey bourbon cocktails.
In Carmel
Valley, CA, the Carmel Valley Ranch understands that their once “promising”
honeybee colonies “have kept their promise” and guests are encouraged not “to keep their distance.” After enjoying a honey-sweetened lemonade,
guests regularly “suit-up” and visit the Ranch’s hives boasting a population of
about 60,000 honeybees.
No less
than New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel has its own rooftop apiary where the
beekeeper works directly with the hotel’s culinary staff to assure the best
possible honey for the hotel’s cuisine.
The Waldorf’s own honey is used in fried chicken glaze and several
sauces.
Honeybees
have already conquered a whole new urban habitat in and around our major
airports. I must say I was surprised to
find that they are also traveling in the best social circles and are
comfortably blending into high society with a remarkable ease.
About the Author
M Grossmann of Hazelwood, Missouri & Belleville, Illinois
About the Author
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