Hive sweet hive: 100,000 bees move into Zurich’s Swindon office

Zurich employees in the Swindon office will be ‘buzzing’ with excitement on Tuesday 10th October as 100,000 honeybees move into a purpose-built enclosure on the roof terrace of the insurer’s office in Unity Place.

The newly built office has been designed to rank among the top 10% of commercial buildings for sustainability in the UK. These new additions are part of Zurich’s ongoing commitment to making its offices sustainable and environmentally friendly. Whilst 100,000 bees are moving in, it is estimated that the two colonies will reach around 120,000 during the summer months.

Employees will be able to buy jars of honey produced by the bees for £5, with all proceeds being donated to Zurich Community Trust. The trust supports several local charities such as Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service, Big Breakfast Plus and Swindon Carers Centre. Honey will also be available in the office café for employees to enjoy with their breakfast.

As well as being able to safely see the honeybees in their home and taste their delicious honey, Zurich’s beekeeper and former employee will offer staff ‘teach-in’ sessions where they will be able to learn about bees and how important they are for our eco-system.

In addition, Zurich has also installed four new bird boxes to help create habitats for Swifts which were added to the UK Red List in recent years. In fact, it’s estimated almost of these birds have disappeared over the last 25 years so these new homes may help give the species a welcome boost¹, as well as making excellent neighbours for the bees.

Beekeeper and former Zurich employee Geoff Cox commented:

“Unfortunately, bee populations are declining due to habitat loss and climate change - this year has been particularly challenging for them. I will be keeping a regular eye on the colonies, helping to maintain the enclosure. I’m excited to see them thrive in their new environment and we’re hoping to give the bee population a well-needed boost. I will be carrying out ‘teach-in’ sessions for employees who want to learn more about our new residents, to help educate people around how important they are for our eco-system.”

Louise Sheppard, Head of Workplace Services at Zurich UK, commented:

“It’s the perfect time to move the bees into their new state of the art enclosure now that summer has ended. It will be fun for employees to have our very own honey on their toast or in their porridge when they start the day. Not only will they know where it’s from, many will have watched the bees make it. However, and perhaps more importantly, we’re helping our environment and hopefully boosting the bee population.”

The bees will be creating a buzz among the employees who will have an opportunity to enter a competition to name the two queen bees and win the first two jars of honey produced.

Top five fun facts about the honeybees²:

• Bees have four wings: The two wings each side hook together for form one larger pair when flying and unhook when they’re not flying.
• Honeybees work hard to make honey: Honeybees will tap about two million flowers and fly 50,000 miles to make 454grams of honey.
• Bees don’t need to stop to smell the roses: They have 170 odorant receptors in their antenna and have a sense of smell 50 times better than a dog³.
• Honeybees love to dance: They have a move called the ‘waggle dance’ which helps them communicate with their nestmates and tell each other where to go to find the best source of food.
• Bring a bee back to life: If you find a bumblebee struggling, gently put it near a bee-friendly flower. If there aren’t any nearby, mix 50/50 white sugar and water together and place on a teaspoon for the bee to drink. This will give it a one-off energy boost it may need to be able to fly home.

Zurich’s office in Swindon also has a storage and repair centre for bicycles, electric car charging points, improved recycling points, energy efficient LED lighting and a rainwater collection system for watering plants. Unity Place also features furniture partly made from recovered ocean plastics.

Notes to editors:

• Wildlife Trust
• WWF
• NSBKA