HONEY OF AN IDEA

Developed by Green&Blue, a UK-based company with a passion for designing stylish products that help wildlife, the Bee Brick™ is an exciting nature-conscious innovation in the realm of building. The cleverly designed cement brick has small holes on its side that are the perfect size for cavity-nesting bees to make their home. It can be used in construction in place of a traditional brick, alongside bee-friendly planting, to create more habitat possibilities for solitary bees.

Solitary bees are facing a dramatic decline in numbers due to disease, the use of chemicals and habitat loss. Pollinators such as honey bees account for one-third of the food we eat and are a vital part of our environment.

The Bee Brick™ can be used in urban spaces and places where there may not be alternative nesting sites for bees, either built into a wall or building or simply stood alone in a garden. Solitary bees are harmless and will not sting you unless you handle them roughly; even then their stings are not painful.

This year the Brighton & Hove Council in England passed a planning condition that all new buildings over five metres tall must include Bee Bricks™ in their construction. While some in the scientific community have questioned the

design, saying the bricks could provide a home for mites, others are more optimistic and believe they are an unequivocally positive move.

Over the next few years, Brighton will provide an interesting case study on the effectiveness of the bricks as a tool in aiding the bee population.

Depending on the outcome, we may all have Bee Bricks™ in our homes in the future. greenandblue.co.uk