Cross County Center in Yonkers has partnered with Best Bees, a Boston-based company, to raise awareness of bees and their contribution to the environment and the human food supply through their pollination of plants.
The beekeepers have installed and are maintaining two beehives at the outdoor shopping center, near the Macy”™s store. Each honeybee colony is expected to grow to have 50,000 bees at the height of the season. A beehive population consists of 90% female workers, 10% male drones and one queen bee. This is the first installation of beehives at a Marx Realty property. Marx is the owner of Cross County Center.
Liz Pollack, senior marketing manager at Cross County Center, said, “Bees are essential to the environment, and we hope to help educate our shoppers with fun, interactive programs that will take place year-round.”
Beekeepers will monitor the health of the bees and perform a variety of tasks throughout the year to help them thrive. Toward the end of the season, honey will be extracted, put into jars and made available to shoppers attending events.
