"Beehive Deliveries Keep New Yorkers Buzzing On Rooftops, Backyards"

"NEW YORK - Bustling New York City may not seem a bee-friendly place, but its high-rise rooftops and tiny gardens are buzzing with honeymakers threatened by pesticides in rural areas.

About 2.4 million Italian honeybees waited in a white van to be taken to their new homes early Friday. It was parked near the Dakota Apartments by Central Park, where John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono has lived since 1973.

“This is the first year that we’ve done this outside The Dakota,” said Andrew Coté, president of the New York City Beekeepers Association. “We heard that Yoko likes honey.”

Coté, who founded Andrew’s Honey, drove up from Georgia to deliver the bees. The van held 200 wood and screen packages, each with about 12,000 bees. A steady stream of beekeepers lined up to pick up their 3 lb packages which cost $159 or $205, depending on when they placed their order."

Roselle Chen reports for Reuters April 9, 2021.

Source: Reuters, 04/14/2021