OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — About 30,000 European honeybees will arrive at the Washington state Capitol next week.

The Department of Enterprise Services announced Wednesday that on April 20, the Olympia Beekeepers Association will be placing the bees in two hives that will be set up on the front lawn of the governor’s mansion this week.

The agency says the goal is to raise awareness about the decline of bee populations across the country, and also to boost pollination of plants at the mansion and on the Capitol campus.

The hives will initially consist of a stand and a single large box where the queen bee will lay her eggs. Later in the spring, smaller boxes to store excess honey will be stacked on top.

Beekeepers from the association will be responsible for the care and upkeep of the hives.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.