Bee Hives Introduced At Long Beach Shopping Center

LONG BEACH, CA — In celebration of World Honey Bee Day, 2nd & PCH shopping center is placing hives of bees around the center.

Through a partnership with Best Bees, the hives of docile honeybees were placed in areas where there is no foot traffic to keep both bees and shoppers safe. Each hive serves as a data point for Best Bees to monitor colony health and assess the biodiversity of surrounding areas.

“2ND & PCH, as with all CenterCal properties, is about more than retail offerings. We are a community gathering place,” said 2ND & PCH General Manager, Samantha Lopez. “Adding the docile bees to the center’s environment is another step towards promoting a welcoming and dynamic atmosphere for all guests and furthers our commitment towards supporting a healthy ecosystem overall.”

Honeybees are an essential part of Earth's ecosystem and work to pollinate agricultural crops and a host of native plant species that are the backbone of local ecosystems. Introducing more bees into the Long Beach community will help with biodiversity and support healthier food systems, officials said.

Local beekeepers service the hives regularly to ensure the bees are healthy and to collect data for research purposes. 2nd & PCH's two hives are expected to produce 10 and 20 pounds of honey per year.

"Our mission is to improve the health of these vital pollinators nationwide,” said Creative Director of Best Bees Paige Mulhern. “Our partnership with CenterCal will contribute to the largest library of standardized bee data in the world, enabling each participating property to make a truly positive impact on bee and biodiversity health.”

The shopping center invites the public to celebrate the hives' installation on World Honey Bee Day on Aug. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free event will include family-friendly activities, a Q&A with a Best Bees beekeeper and a scavenger hunt.