Highlighting Bee Rescue Efforts to Conclude International Pollinator Month
In 2021, SDG&E initiated a partnership with We Save Bees to relocate bees from company infrastructure and project sites. Our partnership has expanded from the occasional relocation to the creation of San Diego’s first utility-owned bee sanctuary.
How it all began
When SDG&E is working on a project site, we take into consideration the impact that project might have on the surrounding community and the biodiversity that inhabits the area. For SDG&E Landscape Project Manager Bill Click, this was a driving factor when seeking a natural solution for beehive removals. He proudly established our partnership with We Save Bees and advocated for ways to grow that partnership into what it is today. Bill has also been a driving force for reimaging SDG&E’s weed abatement program by utilizing prescribed goat grazing instead of mechanized equipment to remove vegetation in our transmission corridors.
Our new south “BEE” sanctuary
When a bee swarm or hive is relocated, the bees can become stressed and somewhat disoriented. According to We Save Bees, they can benefit from an undistributed location to reacclimate and form a new hive. An isolated substation location in South Bay, owned by SDG&E, now serves as a haven for bees as a bee sanctuary.
“With a safe distance from nearby utility structures and other development, this setting allows undisturbed time and space for the rescued bees to form new hives, reproduce, and resume their pollination cycles,” says Bill Click, SDG&E Landscape Project Manager.
Our new bee sanctuary, in partnership with We Save Bees, not only bolsters local biodiversity but will also push forward our mission of providing sustainable solutions to issues that arise. So far, three large, boxed hives with an estimated 50,000 bees are living at our sanctuary. In a matter of time, they will be on their way to remote regions to replenish dwindling bee populations.
Buzzworthy info
Bees are one of the most effective and vital pollinators. In fact, more than one third of the food that humans consume is dependent upon bees for pollination. Unfortunately, the bee population has seen a dramatic decline due to various factors which include climate change, modern farming methods, and habitat loss.
More about We Save Bees
Bee removal professionals We Save Bees are committed to saving and preserving our fragile bee population through their safe bee removal services. For over 10 years, this local minority-owned company has successfully removed bees from roofs, walls, trees, and in recent years, SDG&E infrastructure.