HIGH FLYERS OF THE URBAN BEE MOVEMENT
As urban beekeeping starts to take off around the world, even the high flyers of the financial world are doing their bit. London Stock Exchange has just housed thousands bees this month, by introducing bees to its rooftop in the City.
Europe’s largest stock exchange, the fourth biggest in the world, has taken delivery of two beehives which will receive their 100,000 residents in a fortnight .
The Exchange’s chief executive, a Frenchman, Xavier Rolet, an avid beekeeper, is excited about the move, which he says is a small effort to address the threat to Europe’s dwindling bee populations. The honey will be given as corporate gifts.
Increasing numbers of urban beekeepers are taking to the rooftops and small gardens of the towns and cities of the UK, Europe and the USA including some of the more exotic names around. The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is the most recent business organisations to install apiaries on its premises. The former Bank of England governor Robin Leigh-Pemberton and the Business Secretary Vince Cable are beekeeping enthusiasts, and the Japanese investment bank Nomura has installed two hives at its London site.
Like the LSE project, Nomura’s apiary was set up in partnership with a not-for-profit social enterprise, The Golden Company, and offers underprivileged young people the opportunity to help sustain the hives and learn business skills. The Exchange also wants employees to get involved.
Other urban beekeeping organisations include Tate Modern, the Bank of England, St Pancras station and Fortnum and Masons. This last firm has installed its hives on the roof and the bees have full access to the gardens of Mayfair, one of the best 
areas of London. Superior honey from superior gardens! What better advertising! With the installation of two hives on the roof of the London Stock Exchange, these landmarks will all have their own bee colonies – part of a trend towards eco-awareness in the city and the website http://urbanbees.co.uk may be a useful reference for you if you are considering joining this rapidly growing movement.
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