WASHINGTON—First Lady Melania Trump has expanded the White House’s beekeeping program with the addition of a wooden hive shaped like the famous residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, she announced on April 24.
The intricately designed hive featuring the building’s iconic columns holds two new colonies of honeybees, joining two existing colonies, and is expected to increase production by about 30 pounds annually.
Executive residence staff designed the hive, brought to life by an unnamed Virginia artisan.
The individual also worked with prior administrations on various projects, a White House spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
Bees residing at the White House pollinate flowers on the grounds and across the city, and are regularly spotted on the National Mall.
Honey from the hives is gifted to guests on special occasions, donated to local food kitchens, and used to create culinary delicacies by White House chefs.
First Lady Michelle Obama oversaw the introduction of beehives to the Executive Mansion in 2009.
White House carpenter Charlie Brandt donated the first hive, with approximately 70,000 bees, and cared for the pollinators.
Visitors to the South Lawn are encouraged to learn about bee colonies and the role they play in plant life and agriculture.
Hardworking bees produced about 11 gallons of honey in the first year and approximately 340 pounds in the first three years.
The colonies are producing 200 to 225 pounds of honey per year on average, with a boost of approximately 15 percent anticipated thanks to the new addition.
Brandt maintained the bees until the end of the Obama administration, with executive pastry chefs from the White House kitchen filling the role in recent years.
White House honey’s flavor is described as “light clover and basswood flavor, with a subtle hint of citrus,” according to a statement from the first lady’s office.
The new hive was funded by the Trust for the National Mall, a nonpartisan philanthropic group partnered with the National Parks Service.
White House horticulturalist Dale Haney will manage the colonies through a collaboration with local apiary experts.
Early presidents were also fond of honeybees, with George Washington keeping hives on his Mount Vernon estate and Thomas Jefferson’s staff maintaining bees at Monticello.
Colonies face a number of challenges—including mites and pathogens, the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and other variables—with colony collapses and bee deaths increasing in recent years.
Bees are responsible for pollinating approximately $15 billion worth of agricultural crops across the country every year, according to statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture.
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