SUGAR LAND, Texas — Bees have taken up permanent residence at the Sugar Land Regional Airport.
According to the city, bee hives have been delivered to house the insects that have been swarming around the airport for years.
In 2019, a hive was discovered in the wall of an aviation commercial business and required the removal and reconstruction of a portion of the hanger just to save the bees, city officials said.
In 2020, a hive in transit rested on the Air Traffic Control Tower with more than a couple entering the tower cab, the city reported. Two years later, a large swarm of bees was seen hovering on a ramp and once the swarm rested, it had to be removed by a bee wrangler, officials said.
Due to these several encounters, the airport decided not to get rid of the bees but instead relocate them to the airport's undeveloped property in an effort to make a positive impact on the community and environment.
“Our leadership team strives to be innovative and while reviewing airport initiatives like autonomous mowers, solar panels and electric vehicle chargers, we discovered that other airports around the country are installing apiary’s,” said Director of Aviation Beth Rosenbaum. “Their reasons vary, but most look to actively steward the environment while discouraging disruptions to control towers and airplanes. If they have a place away from critical traffic, there should be fewer disruptions."
Each hive at the airport will house nearly 40,000 bees and pollinate around three to five acres of land, the city said.