U.S. Second Lady Pence installs beehives at the official residence of U.S. Vice President to increase bees population in D.C. on Tuesday, June 6. She was accompanied by the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in announcing the 20,000 bees at the Number One Observatory Circle.
She explained that installing the bee hives is to boost the bees population in D.C. and to raise awareness of the dwindling honey bee population as reported by the Associated Press. She showed off her beehive and the 20,000 bees on Tuesday with the bee queen she called as "Alexandra."
The beehive she installed is large enough to contain 40,000 to 50,000 bees as reported by USA Today. Mrs. Pence is recorded as the only second lady who has serious concern on the bees population in D.C., as well as the other issue of the pollinators in the United States.
“All types of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, are critical to providing our nation’s food, fiber, fuel, and medicine," Mrs. Pence said regarding pollinators and the decrease of bees population in D.C. and the United States. “The bees at the Vice President’s Residence will provide an added bonus to the vegetable and flower gardens by making them well pollinated and taste even better at harvest.”
In the United States, one of three bites of food is available because of the help of pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. This present the importance of bees to pollinate the flower, increase crop value and ensure the harvest quality. Improving the bees population in D.C. will benefit the vegetable gardens surrounding the U.S. Naval Observatory and the Vice Presidential residence.
Mrs. Pence has the concern to raise bees population in D.C. and the United States because there has been a significant decline of the bees and other pollinators in the United States. This decline has given a serious threat to the agricultural product produced in the United States.
