Bentley's latest addition to its Crewe factory? 120,000 bees

Bees have had a rough go of it lately. These incredibly important pollinators contribute to a whole host of foods that we consume, and while many might reach for a flyswatter, it's vital that there are people out there who strive to keep the little buzzers happy and healthy. Even automakers are beginning to do their part, and Bentley is the latest to join in promoting local biodiversity.

Bentley on Wednesday announced that it will soon have 120,000 honeybees joining its team at the automaker's factory in Crewe, England. Local beekeepers will install two hives on Bentley's grounds, taking pollen from the local wildflower population and turning it into liquid gold. According to the automaker, each hive can produce about 50 jars of honey at full clip.

"Bee populations are in decline in the UK, so installing two hives to help boost biodiversity is a great way to make use of the grassland at the edge of the site," said Peter Bosch, Bentley's board member responsible for manufacturing, in a statement. "Our 'flying bees' are honeybees that have been bred by local beekeepers with over 50 years' experience. With their help, we're checking on them every week and it's great to see that they're already starting to produce the first Bentley honey." One can only imagine how much Bentley-branded honey will cost.

Bentley isn't the first automaker to do this. Last year, Ford announced that it was adding 360,000 new honeybees to its campus in Dearborn, Michigan across six different hives. Ford went a little above and beyond the British carmaker by running a design contest for the hives and asking its employees to tend to the hives, but the result is the same -- promoting biodiversity and helping to keep the local bee population thriving.

This is Bentley's second major green effort at its Crewe factory. Earlier this year, it finished installing 10,000 new solar panels on its covered car park, generating 7.7 megawatts of solar power and helping the facility get 100% of its power from renewable resources.