Mexican campaign creates beehives out of used straws

A German-Mexican collaboration hopes to help preserve Apis Mellifera, the most important bee species in the world for human food

Spotted: A German-Mexican collaboration is building beehives out of used plastic straws. Last Straw is a campaign to save bees and reduce plastic waste. The idea came to digital marketing agency Flock Linked by Isobar as a way to encourage people to stop using straws. It partnered with honey producers Son De Miel and digital production company Praxlab to create the campaign.

Last Straw is a prototype of a man-made bee hive, created entirely of used plastic straws. The team discovered that standard straws are the same size as Apis Mellifera honeycomb cells. Straws are also made out of the same type of plastic used to manufacture artificial beehives. That means it is more likely bees would accept the straw-based hive. The team worked with professional bee keepers and academics to design the hive and introduce the bees.

The prototype bee hive is already hosting a bee colony. The plans for the man-made hive are available online for free.