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The Fairmont Washington Has 105,000 Bees (On Purpose)

Where: 2401 M St Nw [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20037

Bees at the Fairmont Royal York, 2008.

Last summer, we kind of got the heebies when we learned that the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto had purposely put 40,000 honeybees up on their rooftop to harvest their own honey in an effort to "enhance the hotel's culinary program." And now the Fairmont Washington D.C. has stuck three honey beehives up on its roof with the same goal, boasting a bee population totaling about 105,000 bees.

Each hive has a queen and 33,000 worker bees:

They travel up to three miles away from their rooftop home foraging for food, and always return to their respective hives. Nearby Rock Creek Park offers trees and plants with the essential nectar they must gather for their work.

Apparently, the Executive Sous Chef and Executive Pastry Chef will each take turns acting as Chief Bee Keeper, with a goal of retrieving somewhere around 300 pounds of honey within the year (um, betchya didn't sign up for this when you scored this job after culinary school, huh?) Even bee-haters can enjoy something, though: the honey harvested will be used in in recipes served in the hotel's restaurant Juniper.

[Photo: Norm Betts / Reuters]