Some 100,000 honey bees have moved into a purpose built enclosure on the roof of insurance giant Zurich's Unity Place HQ.
Some of the hives
The new Swindon office has been designed to rank among the top 10 percent of commercial buildings for sustainability in the UK.
The bees are part of Zurich’s ongoing commitment to making its offices sustainable and environmentally friendly.
It is estimated that the two colonies will reach around 120,000 during the summer months.
Employees will be able to buy jars of honey produced by the bees for £5, with all proceeds being donated to Zurich Community Trust.
The trust supports several local charities such as Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service, Big Breakfast Plus and Swindon Carers Centre. Honey will also be available in the office café for staff to enjoy with their breakfast.
Beekeeper and former Zurich employee Geoff Cox said: “Unfortunately, bee populations are declining due to habitat loss and climate change - this year has been particularly challenging for them.
"I will be keeping a regular eye on the colonies, helping to maintain the enclosure. I’m excited to see them thrive in their new environment and we’re hoping to give the bee population a well-needed boost.
"I will be carrying out ‘teach-in’ sessions for employees who want to learn more about our new residents, to help educate people around how important they are for our eco-system.”
Zurich has also installed four new birdboxes to help create habitats for swifts, which were added to the UK Red List in recent years.
Louise Sheppard, Head of Workplace Services at Zurich UK, said: “It’s the perfect time to move the bees into their new state of the art enclosure now that summer has ended. It will be fun for employees to have our very own honey on their toast or in their porridge when they start the day.
Not only will they know where it’s from, many will have watched the bees make it. However, and perhaps more importantly, we’re helping our environment and hopefully boosting the bee population.”
Employees who will have an opportunity to enter a competition to name the two queen bees and win the first two jars of honey produced.
Other environmentally conscious features of Unity Place include a storage and repair centre for bicycles, electric car charging points, improved recycling points, energy efficient LED lighting and a rainwater collection system for watering plants.
Unity Place also features furniture partly made from recovered ocean plastics.
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