The Town of Morrisville has new residents: honeybees!

In late July two beehives were delivered to Fire Station No. 3! 

This effort directly supports the Town’s commitment to the natural environment, specifically pollinators, by providing habitat and food sources.  The hives will be maintained by the Town's partners at Bee Downtown. This is a joint effort between the Morrisville Fire/Rescue Department and the Sustainability program to help spread awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators to our environment and food sources.

The hives will have two majestic queen bees, which need regal names that truly reflect their royal stature. Have a name fit for royalty? Join us at S’Morrisville, where you can put your proposed queen name idea in the honey pot either virtually or with pen & paper. The Scrap Exchange and West Orange Farms will offer honey tastings and other fun activities centered around honeybees.

The Town conducted a social media campaign to solicit queen bee names and then gave the community the opportunity to vote on the top five! The queen’s names were announced at the Beehive Ribbon-Cutting and Queen Naming Ceremony on Aug. 22! Residents came up with the winning names will be invited to attend this invite-only event.

To learn more about the importance of bees or about Bee Downtown itself, click here. 

Interested in beekeeping? Check out NC State's list of resources and guides.

Mayors Monarch Pledge 

In 2021, the Town of Morrisville took the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge to help save the monarch butterfly, an iconic species whose eastern populations have declined by 90 percent. Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, towns like Morrisville are committing to:

1. Creating habitat for the monarch butterfly and other pollinators.
2. Educating residents about how they can make a difference at home and in their community.

Planting native plants is a great way for residents and business owners to support local pollinator habitats. Visit N.C. Native Plant Society for a handout of native plantings by season and color that you can add to your home or business.