Urban Buzz Bee House
Bee house, packaging, guidebook
While the population of honey bees worldwide is decreasing, another species, the native mason bees, are not being impacted in the same ways. These bees pollinate at a much more efficient rate than honey bees making them a great addition to any area. They also do not have a queen so they mind there own business. It is rare for them to bother or sting humans. Knowing how important these insects are to the environment and to our food system and acknowledging the lack in sustainable bee products, Urban Buzz saw a great opportunity to fill the gap. Urban Buzz bee houses were created specifically for mason bees in San Francisco. In addition to the gentle climate, San Francisco has an abundance of plant and flower varieties that you wouldn't find in a monoculture.
Urban Buzz joined with SPUR in San Francisco in order to create awareness of the importance of these bees by placing these houses in parks across the city. They are also for sale to those who are interested in learning more about bees or want the opportunity to help directly by installing one of these houses.
The house was built by Andrea Falke with help from Techshop SF
Materials | wood and aluminum
Machines | Laser cutter and water jet
Final house packaged with all the needed pieces inside of the bee house.
The rods are filled with reeds to create a habitat which is common for mason bees to nest in. These rods slide into the bee house and connect to a secure block on the back of the house.
To ease the common fear of bees, a handbook is included with the set. It includes information about mason bees, Urban Buzz and directions for setting up the house.
