Raging bees: Lamborghini studies bees for environment protection

In 2016, Lamborghini launched an environmental biomonitoring project and made an apiary in the Lamborghini Park in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

Since then, the apiary has grown from a total of eight hives to the current 12, with a population of about 600,000 bees, of which 120,000 forage around the area. Foraging describes bees that fly to collect nectar and pollen. 

And on the occasion of World Bee Day last May 20, established by the United Nations (UN) in 2017, Lamborghini emphasized its commitment to  environment protection. 

Thanks to the Audi Environmental Foundation, this year the Lamborghini apiary benefits from a “technological beehive.”

The hive has two video cameras, one inside and one outside the hive, which make it possible to observe the behavior of the insects up close. The cameras provide more detailed data to the studies being conducted.

From the analyses of the bees, with their honey and wax, the company and entomological and apicultural experts, can detect a wide range of pollutants. Pollutants can range from pesticides used in agriculture and on urban and private green spaces, heavy metals, aromatic compounds, and dioxins.

This analysis is important in controlling pollution in the environment inside and outside the Sant’Agata Bolognese production plant, Lamborghini said. 

With the clean surroundings, bees were able to forage within a radius of approximately three kilometers. 

The bee project has also recently taken an experimental study of biomonitoring of solitary bee colonies.

Solitary bees are said to differ from social bees for their shorter foraging radius of 200 meters, and because each female takes care of her own offspring, unlike social bees which only take care of the queen bee’s offspring.

The colonies, made up of houses located inside Lamborghini Park and near the production site, make it possible to monitor more specific areas thanks to the shorter foraging radius. The shorter foraging radius allows for more effective studying of the environmental impact in the Park.

The bee biomonitoring project is part of a broader environmental sustainability strategy that Lamborghini has been pursuing since 2009, the Italian marque said.

It has led the company to be awarded certification as a CO2-neutral company in 2015, which has been maintained even following the recent expansion of the production site.

On Earth Day last April 22, Lamborghini was also awarded the Green Star 2021, which ranked it among the most sustainable companies in Italy thanks to its commitment to reducing environmental impact.

Aside from the apiary, Lamborghini has planted 10,000 oak trees inside the Lamborghini Park, and made one of the largest photovoltaic (solar power) systems in Emilia-Romagna.

Photos from Lamborghini

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