Florence, a swarm of bees arrives at the Boboli Gardens. Schmidt: a gift from nature

A swarm of bees has made its home in the Boboli Gardens in Florence. They are in their tens of thousands, arrived in the last few days and have built a hive in the deep slit of an ancient wall on the avenue leading to the Boboli Gardens’ Limonaia. The site chosen for the hive is? decidedly strategic for the bees, since it is just a stone’s throw from the blooms of the Limonaia garden, where the industrious insects can find nourishment galore: so even now you can see foraging bees and pollinating bumblebees wandering around the flowers, looking for nectar.

These are honey bees, and their presence, say the Uffizi Galleries, which manages the garden, is totally unexpected. And since bees are a very valuable presence, the Uffizi has decided to provide these insects with protection, which will also have the function of ensuring the safety of visitors passing through this area of the park: in fact, in the flowerbed in front of the wall where the bees have built the hive, a green wooden protection has been installed; in addition, signs will also be placed to inform about the presence of the hive and invite visitors not to disturb the bees. According to entomologists from whom the Uffizi asked for advice, the bees are expected to remain in Boboli for at least a few years before leaving. The museum also announced that in order to explain the importance of these animals and illustrate their activities to the public, a video depicting the daily life of bees will be posted on the Uffizi’s Facebook page on August 14.

“Even for the Boboli Gardens,” explains Bianca Maria Landi, coordinator of the Boboli Gardens, “bees are a precious presence. We built a wooden protection for them at the exact spot where they decided to set up home, in the slot of an ancient wall. A protection to safeguard the entrance to their hive and our visitors who will be walking along the Meridiana Avenue. We ask you to help us and have the utmost care and respect for our bees so that they can continue their irreplaceable service to Mother Nature undisturbed. In fact, bees provide pollination for more than 70 percent of living plant species, contributing to the production of more than 35 percent of our food. On their survival depends that of our own planet.”

“At a time when bee deaths in Italy and around the world are worrying specialists about the balance and survival of our ecosystem,” says Eike Schmidt, director of the Uffizi, “the arrival of this swarm at Boboli is an unexpected and generous gift from Nature, which will ensure even more luxuriance for the garden. The affected area has been protected, and there is no danger of visitors being stung: the bees are interested in plants and flowers, on which they work hard.”

Florence, a swarm of bees arrives at the Boboli Gardens. Schmidt: a gift from nature

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