Plant pollinator palaces
Fri, Jun 12 2009 at 2:29 PM EST
The thought of a colony of bumblebees thriving anywhere in the vicinity of where I live (or step) makes me anxious. I know I’m not alone on this.For serious greenthumbs, however, these tiny winged critters are a welcome addition to any garden thanks to their penchant for super important pollination. Essentially, a garden without bumblebees is a garden at risk, so attracting them and encouraging them to stick around is vital.
Brooklyn-based designer Jason Neufeld’s Bombus Shelters are designed to do just that. These good lookin’ ceramic beehives should be installed directly in the ground (bumblebees tend to settle underground) instead of hung. With a Bombus Shelter, your beneficial bee boarders have
established safe, dry lodgings (not quite the Farmont Hotel, but I think they’ll do just fine) so you don’t have to worry about accidentally stepping on any homemade hives — bumblebees usually only attack when their home is threatened — spread throughout your garden.
established safe, dry lodgings (not quite the Farmont Hotel, but I think they’ll do just fine) so you don’t have to worry about accidentally stepping on any homemade hives — bumblebees usually only attack when their home is threatened — spread throughout your garden.If you aren’t familiar with the somewhat fragile state of bees right now — the plight of the bumblebee, if you will — check out these two post from my co-bloggers Jenn Savedge and Melissa Hincha-Ownby about Colony Collapse Disorder. It’s a pretty big, buzz-worthy deal at the moment … so big that I just happen to be listening (total coincidence) to a lengthy news story on the topic on NPR as I type.
Via [Re-Nest]
Photos: Jason Neufeld
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Superfluous, Perhaps...But Whatever Works!
It seems a little silly in this challenging economy to hawk costly ceramic beehives considering that bees possess the innate ability to create their own homes. Still, I am a huge proponent of doing whatever it takes to help people recognize that pollinators are are allies and should be welcomed rather than furiously fumigated.
For those who want to do more than install a ceramic home to attract bees, please participate in the GREAT SUNFLOWER PROJECT. It basically turns all of us into citizen.... More