While it is natural for beehive to be natural, this one is not. (Image via: Soundholder)

Eco Warning: Argentine Beehive Made of Plastics

Plastics pollution is getting even worse. Researchers in Argentina found out that their bee is building its hive from plastic waste. It is abnormal for bee to build their hives with plastics.

The knowledge of the problem began when Mariana Allasino, a researcher from National Agricultural Technology Institute of Argentina, did an experiment to host a “hotel” for bee. Basically, the team of researchers prepared a design for the bee to build their hives. The bees just need to fill in these design in order to make a home.

The usual materials for the bees to make their hives are mud, flower petals, tree resin, or leaves. In other words, bee makes their hive out of something “natural” that they can find.

However, to the researchers’ shock, from 3 hives that they found, 1 of which was made from plastics. The researcher was baffled by the founding, since it was the first time for them to see a beehive made of plastics.

The construction of the hive was consisted from 3 main plastic wastes, with different structural integrity. The problem was that this hive, indeed, had the worst sustaining ability for the bee. Of course, it is plastics, and it is inhabitable for the bees. The researcher found a dead larva inside one of the hive’s cells, and even some adult bees were not willing to stay in the abominable hive.

The founding and the research were then published in Adologie journal, February edition.

Climate change starts with one of these causes, plastics. There are plastic wastes in ocean and land. For Argentine government, it costs about $2.5 trillion annually to fight plastics pollution. The world really is in emergency state to find out how to tackle plastics issue. Since the pollution is worsening so much, the bees make it into their home.

Source: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/244043/20190531/bees-in-argentina-are-building-nests-using-plastic-waste.htm