Another Treasure Preserved at DFSP San Pedro

SAN PEDRO, Calif., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Defense Fuel Support Point San Pedro has discovered a new environmental treasure on the Palos Verdes peninsula: the honeybee. DFSP San Pedro, already known for its conservation efforts of the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly, is now taking measures to care for honeybees that also inhabit the fuel point.

Faced with thousands of wild honeybees located at DFSP San Pedro, employees met the challenge by buying beekeeping suits and learning about how to cultivate manmade beehives. Three suits and hours of studying later, the DFSP San Pedro team began domesticating the honeybees by moving them to manmade beehives.

Maj. Jason Pike, Defense Logistics Agency staff entomologist, applauded the efforts to save the bees at DFSP San Pedro. He said, "When I learned about the contractors saving the bees, I was pleasantly surprised."

The team removed two wild beehives, one from an electrical volt and the other from a wall, and transferred the honeybees and their queens to manmade hives. One of the hives, about 3 feet tall, can house more than 1,000 bees.

A recent report indicated that during the next 30 years, DFSP San Pedro will save more than $14,000 since the bees can be maintained in a controlled environment instead of invading walls, crevices and other needed spaces. In the past, the bees have occasionally interfered with DFSP San Pedro's mission because their hives have been built in building walls and fuel tank covers. The fuel point's recent measures have eliminated these issues and will reduce the need for contractor bee removal.

The honeybees have provided the added benefit of improving the habitat for the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly. The butterfly, once almost extinct, has been rehabilitated on DFSP San Pedro's 26 acres of coastal sage scrub. DLA has undertaken many efforts to recover the butterfly population, including a captive breading program and habitat restoration plan as well as careful monitoring of the butterfly population.

The butterflies' preferred environment, specific to the Palos Verdes peninsula, has been maintained by the honeybees. A natural pollinator, the honeybees help to sustain the vegetation the butterflies depend on. This symbiotic relationship is necessary to maintain the environmental balance on the peninsula.

The honeybees' impact on the environment is seen not only at DFSP, but in many regions with large honeybee populations. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study, "Bees' importance goes far beyond agriculture," and bees are responsible for pollination of "more than 16 percent of the flowering plant species, ensuring that we'll have blooms in our gardens."

Pike explained, "What makes the honeybee so special is that, unlike many insects, the honeybee will seek out pollen and not nectar; honey bees commonly pollinate agricultural crops such as apples, cherries, melons and almonds."

This pollination trait is so unique that in some cases manmade beehives travel throughout a region to provide pollination services. This option for DFSP San Pedro's beehives is being explored. Already, Palos Verde Peninsula Land Conservancy has expressed interest in receiving honeybees.

DFSP San Pedro contractor John Rifilato explained the impact of maintaining the bees. He said his involvement in domesticating the honeybees is "to preserve the natural environment of the hills."

Beyond the ecological benefit to the region and significant financial savings, the bees are producing sweet results for employees. Since creating the manmade beehives, more than three gallons of honey have been collected and distributed to interested persons.

DFSP San Pedro is part of the Defense Logistics Agency, which provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the one source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations. More information about DLA is available at http://www.dla.mil/.

Editor's note: The article was written by Heather Lerner.