Want To Save The Dwindling Bee Population? Then Set Up A Beehive In Your Own Home

Bees - the world's main pollinator of food crops - are becoming endangered at an alarmingly rapid rate. In fact, according to the stats, there are now 3.5 million fewer beehives than there were in 1947.

Considering an estimated one-third of the food we eat each and every day relies on pollination by bees, this is a very concerning fact. Many fruits and vegetables (including broccoli, asparagus, celery citrus fruit, cherries, peaches) both domestic and imported require pollination.

So in order to combat the decline in bees, eco-friendly designers Dustin Betz and Mike Zaengle worked together to create what is known as the BEEcosystem, a hexagonal BEEcosystem observation hive

A BEEcosystem that people can install in their own homes. Credit: Instagram / @beecosystem.buzz

The BEEcosystem can be attached to walls both indoors and outdoors and has a transparent front so you can watch the honeybees at work.

The magnetic hive contains connection points which have sliding ventilation screens that open into a "crawl space" that allows the bees to move about freely. It also contains a transfer tube that allows the bees to travel from outdoors to indoors and vice versa.

A BEEcosystem that people can instal in their own homes. Credit: Instagram / @beecosystem.buzz

You can use the feeder at the top of the eco-friendly tool to supplement the man-made beehive and the top bar can be taken off in order to harvest honey.

Betz and Zaengle brought their design to fruition back in 2015 and last year in 2018, they made some changes to the original design, adding some brand new features.

A BEEcosystem that people can instal in their own homes. Credit: Instagram / @beecosystem.buzz

Zaengle told Inhabitat that although customers were happy with their purchase overall, a lot of them would have preferred it if the hive could open from the front as opposed from the back.

"This slight change would make the hives that are situated outside easier to maintain," he said.

With the new design, the hive no longer has to be removed from the wall when it is maintained.

A BEEcosystem that people can instal in their own homes. Credit: Instagram / @liquidnight

Zaengle added that they "have already worked through this design modification with our current manufacturer and have started our initial production run for the 2018 beekeeping season."

Does this sound like a tempting purchase or is it a tad overzealous? Share your thoughts in the comments.