Bricks for bees: They are now mandatory in every new building to be built in Brighton, UK

Bricks for bees: They are now mandatory in every new building to be built in Brighton, UK

The special perforated bricks would attract mites and promote the spread of disease among bees, according to the scientists

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Special hollow bricks that save lone bees are a must in every new building to be built in Brighton, UK





Bees are among the animals most threatened by extinction: the main causes of their disappearance are certainly the loss of habitats and pollution, but also the increase in temperatures that alters the behavior of the flowers and, therefore, compromises the ability for these animals to feed.

Among the many initiatives aimed at protecting the population of solitary bees and birds, in order to avoid the risk of extinction of the species, there is also that of the municipality of Brighton, in the United Kingdom, which requires all new buildings with more than five floors to include special perforated bricks in the structure, which can provide a nesting and hibernating space for solitary bees.

These bee bricks are already on the market, as are those of Cornish company Green & Blue, winners of the Soil Association's Innovation Award and born with the purpose of providing a nesting place for solitary bees.

The Bee Brick is completely solid in the back, which allows it to be used constructively. It has molded cavities where bees lay their eggs and seal entrances with mud or vegetation. Spring arrives, the bees' eggs hatch and the nesting process begins again.

Now city councilors in the UK have agreed on new rules to help lone bees: any new building over five meters tall should include these special bricks from the beginning of next April. The suggestion was made by the councilor Robert Nemeth, who is also a beekeeper.

A bee brick – now compulsory in Brighton & Hove on new buildings after I raised issue at Council. Big victory. pic.twitter.com/felFEB5FEH

— Cllr Robert Nemeth (@robert_nemeth) January 11, 2022


The criticisms

This idea, although laudable in theory, actually seems to be ineffective in providing a safe haven for bees: according to experts: it is not enough to insert a few perforated bricks into the architecture of a building to give concrete help to the protection of biodiversity - they need more invasive and substantial actions. Bricks are to be considered nothing but a greenwashing operation implemented to make more sustainable, at least in appearance, the ruthless overbuilding of cities that destroys parks and natural areas where bees usually live.


But not only that: it could even prove to be harmful to the health of insects, as some biologists report: bricks in fact, if not cleaned often and correctly, attract mites and favor the proliferation of diseases, thus undermining the health of bees. To really help the bee population, it would be more useful to introduce green spaces and gardens with flowers, even in cities.

(Read also: Bat boxes, insect hotels and green corridors: this is how Barcelona is saving bees, butterflies, birds and bats)

However, not everyone agrees to throw mud on hollow bricks. Some ecologists argue that the mites and bacteria that would lurk in the holes do not represent a threat to the health of the bees that find refuge there: even if at the moment they can represent an initial damage to the survival of the insects, over time a healthy habitat would be created for the new colonies that populate the bricks; moreover, bees naturally possess hygienic behaviors that would allow them to dampen any negative effects of staying in bricks.

In short, the matter seems to be of goat's wool: it will take years to understand the true effects of the presence of hollow bricks in the city on the bee population, and the Brighton Municipality pilot initiative could provide material to that effect. It is therefore better to wait a few years before installing the hollow bricks in other areas of the country and the continent, if the damage to bees outweighs the benefits.


What is certain, however, is that it is Something must be done now to save these insects from extinction before it is too late: with the disappearance of bees, in fact, there would also be devastating consequences for crops and fruit harvesting and, indirectly, also for the survival of other animals and of us human beings.


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Fonte: TimeOut/ The Guardian

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