A half-million bees sharing the airspace above Sea-Tac Airport
Courtesy Port Of Seattle
SEA-TAC AIRPORT -- The flight path in and around Sea-Tac Airport just got a bit more crowded, with the introduction of six honeybee hives to airport property.
A half-million honeybees are now sharing the airport along with commercial jumbo jets and other aircraft, the Port of Seattle reported.
The project was started through a partnership between the Port of Seattle and the nonprofit group, The Common Acre.
It makes Sea-Tac one of the first airports in the country to feature an apiary.
The project, named Flight Path, is designed to promote hardy bee populations in the region by increasing their genetic diversity and providing adequate habitat. The six beehives sit at three vacant, undeveloped sites near the airfield, the Port reported. The open space around the airport makes the site well-suited to host honeybees and other pollinators, the Port said.
The Port said that Flight Path will raise and select the highest quality queen bees to help strengthen hive health for other beekeepers in Western Washington.