WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump announced on April 24, 2026, that she is expanding the White House honey program by installing a beehive shaped like the White House on the south grounds. The new hive will add two bee colonies to the two existing hives that have been on the property since 2009.

The hive and its base were designed by White House residence staff and hand-made by a Virginia artisan, according to the White House. Funding was provided through the Trust for the National Mall.

The White House said the new hive could increase honey production by about 30 pounds, or 13.6 kilograms, per year. The two existing hives produce between 200 and 225 pounds, or 91 to 102 kilograms, of clover honey annually and can swell to about 70,000 bees during peak summer months.

The clover honey is used to prepare meals at the White House, given as official gifts from the president and first lady, and donated to food kitchens, according to the White House. The bees also pollinate a nearby produce garden that Michelle Obama started in 2009, as well as a flower cutting garden and vegetation on the National Mall, according to the White House.

The White House beekeeping program began in 2009 after a White House carpenter started beekeeping as a hobby on the complex, according to the White House. The program has maintained two hives on the south grounds since that year, with the colonies growing to as many as 70,000 bees during peak summer months.