Despar Installs Bee Shelters Across Italy

Why this is here: Despar plans to plant 70 native plants at each of the seven locations, totaling almost 500 plants to regenerate local ecosystems.

Despar Italia is installing bee shelters and planting native plants in seven regions of Italy—Bologna, Veneto, Piedmont, Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia. The company announced the expansion of its “Bee Houses Despar” project on World Bee Day. It will place seven Bee Hotels and 35 Resilient Nests to create habitats for both solitary bees and wild honeybees.

The initiative also includes planting roughly 490 native plants—70 per location—to restore local ecosystems and increase floral resources. PlanBee and Resilient Bee APS are assisting with the project, along with six companies within the Despar Consortium and seven partner farms. Seven “Bee Guardians” will monitor the sites and offer agroecological advice.

This project builds upon Despar’s 2025 launch of “Bee Houses Despar” with 35 hives, and complements its “Despar Scattered Forest” project focused on reforestation. While the project aims to support pollinator populations, the long-term effects of habitat creation on bee health require continued observation and study.