Forget keeping bees in your backyard or rooftop. How about having your own beehive in the comfort of your living room?
Urban beekeeping has reached a new frontier with the latest beehive design from electronics manufacturer Philips. The company has launched Urban Beehive, an unconvetional beehive that can be kept indoors and hung from a wall. This dynamic indoor beehive design is part of the company's home furnishing concept known as Microbial Home.
The Urban Beehive features two compartments: a clear panel containing honeycombs and a separate column with space for a flower pot. In theory, bees would be able to fly from their colony and feed off the nectar from the flower located just outside their hive. Curious observers can watch the bees in full action while they go about their sweet business.
Philips hopes the indoor beehive design helps deter the mysterious colony collapse disorder that has been killing bees for nearly a decade. ''This is a sustainable, environmentally friendly product concept that has direct educational effects. The city benefits from the pollination, and humans benefit from the honey and the therapeutic value of observing these fascinating creatures in action. As global bee colonies are in decline, this design contributes to the preservation of the species and encourages the return of the urban bee,'' the company states on their website.