Bee colonies around the world are dying at alarming rates. No more so than in the USA, where it is estimated the 44% of colonies were lost in 2016 alone. There are many reasons for this alarming decline, most of which are down to us.

Things like overuse of pesticides, diesel fumes, intensive farming practices and parasites from introduced species have contributed, and if things don’t improve soon we could face a major collapse in our food supply. Because you see, these tiny, hard-working creatures are an integral part of many ecosystems and pollinate up to 80% of our crops, and if they were to continue dying at these rates we can say goodbye to many of the plants that we rely on, as well as a whole plethora of other creatures that need them too.

Image credits: NORDDDB

Some Mcdonald’s in Sweden are doing their bit to help our vitally important friends, by hosting beehives on the roofs of their restaurants. Some are also planting flowers outside too, providing a bee-friendly environment that has helped to boost the population in the Scandinavian country. Pretty cool right?

Image credits: NORDDDB

To pay tribute to these efforts, Mcdonald’s commissioned a professional carpenter to make the ‘smallest ever Mcdonald’s,” which is, in fact, a fully functioning beehive featuring a McDonald’s sign, drive-through, an outside seating area and even little advertisements on the windows!

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

The impressive level of detail has not gone unnoticed by the customers at the “McHive,” Bored Panda spoke to one diner, who said, as far as we could make out, that he was “buzzing.”

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

With 37,000 restaurants around the globe, the Swedish initiative could prove to be a huge help to bees if it is adopted in other countries.

Image credits: NORDDDB

“We have a lot of really devoted franchisees who contribute to our sustainability work, and it feels good that we can use our size to amplify such a great idea as beehives on the rooftops,” said Christoffer Rönnblad, marketing director of McDonald’s Sweden, in an interview with Adweek.

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

The EU recently enforced a total ban on the outdoor use of neonicotinoids, widely used pesticides that endanger bees and have contributed sharply to their decline.

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

In the US, however, the current administration approved a dump of bee-killing pesticides on 16 million acres of land with the use of ’emergency’ approval to save cotton crops. While this may have worked in the short term, the lack of long term care for a vital pollinator reflects badly on the US government’s commitment to serious environmental issues.

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

What do you think? Should Mcdonald’s pick up this initiative beyond Swedish shores? Are mega-corporations like this to be applauded for taking the lead on vital environmental issues, or are they just jumping on the bandwagon for marketing purposes? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

Image credits: NORDDDB

Here’s what people had to say, complete with the inevitable puns

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