Description of Challenge
food production, food security, nutrition,Pollination is crucial for fertilization and fruition of our plants. To support pollination, we can build bee-houses from simple, recycled and natural materials.
Solution
It is generally well-known that pollination is important for food production. Without pollinating insects (pollinators), some plants cannot produce fruits or seeds.
How can we encourage pollinators to come to our garden (be it a rural farm or an urban balcony)?
1. Grow plants that attract pollinators. Bees love the colors yellow, blue and white. The lists of plants will differ according to your location around the globe, so it’s good to do some searching in your local language.
2. Build a Bee-House where they can stay and nest.
The idea is to build something functional yet aesthetic, which will last for a long time. You can use a wooden box or an old drawer, about 20 cm deep. DON’T use wood that has recently been treated against pests! Fill up the box with different types of wood and drill holes in them, with different sizes of diameter (2-10 mm). You can use different materials and plants, bamboos, etc.
Location and weather considerations:
The boxes need to be protected from rain to prevent mold and fungi, which harm the bees. You can build a little roof for the box and locate it so that it faces away from the direction of the rain.
Furthermore, the bee-houses need a few hours of sunlight per day, so strive to face them towards the sun.
Place them at least 1m above the ground, with no plants or objects obstructing the entrance.
