Inside the 22ft steel tower that's home to 5,000 bees


Most people hop, skip and jump out of the way when a bee is in site.

But this 22ft-high man-made hive allows those with a curious nature to step inside and watch how the fastidious creatures produce their honey - with little risk of getting stung.

Students at The State University of New York created the stainless steel tower for a project.


Called Hive City, it is home to 5,000 bees, who produce an incredible five gallons of honey in the spring and summer months by flying up to five miles to collect pollen from local wild flowers.

It was built on formally abandoned land in Buffalo and is designed so human visitors can watch the bees go about their business in the hive.

Designer Courtney Creenan, 26, explained the idea behind the giant home for bees.


 'We won a competition to design a habitat for a large bee colony that needed to be relocated,' he said.

'The entry to the bee cab is approximately ten feet off the ground which keeps the bees separated from their human visitors as well as protected from any animal predators.

'Visitors are timid when they first enter Hive City because of the stigma of being stung.


 'However, once inside the fear is usually overcome and rarely do humans come in contact with the bees.

'When people go inside, sunlight streams through the triangular perforations in the steel and makes for a beautiful, atmospheric experience.

'Our team has become amateur bee keepers and we have assumed care for them since their move.


'We did work with a professional bee keeper, who moved them into their new home.

'Hive City is meant to be a symbol of the economic and ecological transformation of the site.'










Source : dailymail

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