What if bees had their own Airbnb? The largest insect hotel village in the world
Finnish school kids built the world’s largest insect hotel village in their local town. The hotels provide shelter for important pollination insects that are in decline around the world.
Pollinating insects are in decline, and some insect species are facing the threat of extinction. A world without bees would be a world without coffee, apples, potatoes, strawberries, carrots – and much more. That’s because up to 75% of all of our food crops depend on pollination one way or another.
And it’s not just the bees that are in decline. Living habitats that the pollinators prefer are also in decline as meadows and flower fields have been turned into building lots for city-planning.
That’s why a Finnish electricity distribution company saw untapped potential in their land use. In Finland, the land is released for better use when the air cable lines are moved underground because of the cold and snowy weather conditions. And so, the idea of an insect hotel village came to be.
One hundred hotels for pollinators – a light-hearted approach with serious benefits
The kids were enthusiastic about the project and the local schools wanted to take part as soon as they heard of it. The kids built over a 100 insect hotels and styled the hotels according to their own artistic vision.
The insect hotel village provides shelter as days get colder and the bees look for a perfect spot for winter hibernation. Next spring the bees will wake up from their Air Bee n’ Bees ready for a new season.
Source: TBWA Helsinki