Calling Honey-Lovers: Contest To Name 2 Cross County Center Queen Bees

YONKERS, NY — If you're hoping to name the queen bees "Beey McBeeface" or "Queen Bae," you're out of luck, but there are some fun preselected options to choose from.

The Cross County Center is starting a bee initiative this month, through a partnership with Best Bees, in order to help raise awareness of environmental matters by helping honey bees to thrive.

Beekeepers installed two beehives on the property on Monday, near Macy's. Soon, there will be fresh, hyperlocal honey to share with shoppers, while helping to protect and expand the bee population. Each honey bee colony will begin with 10,000 bees and is expected to grow up to 50,000 at the peak of the season, according to the beekeepers behind the project. A typical beehive population consists of 90% female workers, 10% male drones and 1 queen bee.

Research data such as population, queen health, honey amounts, disease and mite levels from the beehives will be shared with organizations such as Google Earth, NASA, MIT, National Geographic and Harvard University.

“This pollinator program reinforces Cross County Center’s commitment to the environment and the role we serve as business leaders in the community,” said Liz Pollack, Senior Marketing Manager at the shopping center. “Bees are essential to the environment, and we hope to help educate our shoppers with fun, interactive programs that will take place year-round.”

The shopping center is also holding a contest to name the two queen bees on their Instagram page. All you have to do is follow @crosscountycenter and use #CCCbeehive. After picking two names from the following choices, tag a friend and you're entered:

• Bee-yonce
• M.J. Bee
• Maya
• Beeatrice
• Marigold
• Buttercup
• Buzzy
• Beelinda

There will be two winners, selected at random, who will each be rewarded with a $100 gift card to shop at the mall. In addition, the winners will each receive four jars of the locally produced honey. Bee enthusiasts have until Sunday, April 17 to enter.