[BeeGora]

Who, in their right mind, would ever do this?

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014...-accident-waiting-to-happen/?intcmp=obnetwork

 

[Hollywood Bees]

I think that it is just someone with a vision, obviously it wouldn't work and no one will buy it, but it is basically "Hydroponic" bees.

 

[cryptobrian]

Nobody, but that isn't the point. This is part of a closed loop home design/thought exercise from a few years ago that included not only this entirely unworkable hive, but also systems to capture methane from food waste to power a gas stove and recycling water from urine. Like most concepts, it's intended to foster discussion and innovation and in this case the broader thought seems more about sustainability and really not at all about beekeeping. In that regard, it's pretty cool.

 

[Colino]

One flower pot to sustain a working colony of bees? If there are such flowers as those I want seeds to plant an acre.
Colino

 

[jwcarlson]

It has an opening to the outside. It's basically a glorified observation hive.

 

[Michael Bush]

I don't believe it exists nor has it ever had bees in it. Obviously it is designed by someone who knows virtually nothing about bees. A flower for them to forage on? A spigot for the honey? It is ridiculous.

 

[AugustC]

Hard to know what to say about this. It appears to be an example of someone drawing a straight line in their head between to points and there being no actual thinking occurring in the middle. It is possible to have a concept and it still be realistically achievable even it the technology doesn't exist now to achieve it. This is not one of those concepts. This would have advantages over and above just keeping bees normally and creates so many possible problems.

 

[Michael Bush]

It's a typical case of simplification by ignorance. Anything we don't really understand is simple. Bees feed off of flowers, so we will give the bees a flower. Honey comes from hives, so we will need a spigot...

 

[snl]

When they "per..fect" it, I want one! Sure would save me a lot of work!

 

[David LaFerney]

You people lack vision. Sure the idea isn't perfect yet, but once the bugs are worked out it could be scaled to provide milk from goats and eggs from chickens - all feeding on those engineered super flowers. All of the conveniences of living on a self sufficient farm without ever leaving your apartment. And if you produced more than you need you could sell the excess on amazon and they would deliver it with drones to eager customers.

Seriously, you people need to wake up and smell the technology - it's the 21st century.

 

[snl]

Do you think it'll take Maxant's "No drip valve?"

 

[RCorl]

And if you produced more than you need you could sell the excess on amazon and they would deliver it with drones to eager customers.

Wouldn't the drones eat that excess honey before it got delivered to the eager customers?

 

[shannonswyatt]

A couple years ago I was working on some TBH swarm traps. I had two people ask me how it worked. They both thought you just scooped the honey out of the bottom, I guess with a ladle or something.

 

[David LaFerney]

That is certainly how it looks in Winnie the Pooh. Maybe like the bear says the bees we keep are the wrong kind of bees.

Or maybe the person who came up with this idea learned everything they know about how bees work from watching cartoons.

 

[David LaFerney]

Wouldn't the drones eat that excess honey before it got delivered to the eager customers?

Yeah, that makes sense now that you mention it. And if they get the bugs worked out then where would the honey come from?

It may just not really be a very good idea.

 

[Phoebee]

You people lack vision. Sure the idea isn't perfect yet, but once the bugs are worked out it could be scaled to provide milk from goats and eggs from chickens - all feeding on those engineered super flowers. All of the conveniences of living on a self sufficient farm without ever leaving your apartment. And if you produced more than you need you could sell the excess on amazon and they would deliver it with drones to eager customers.

Seriously, you people need to wake up and smell the technology - it's the 21st century.

But, David, if you work the bugs out, it cannot possibly work! Bugs are what make it work.

OK, insects ... I called someone on calling bees "bugs" last week.

Unmanned Air Vehicles are not drones. However, drones that have successfully completed their mission are unmanned.

This science fiction author has been sizing up our observation hive for installation in the living room, with a tube going to the front window. I have not sold the wife on this yet.

Stingless bees in South America are sometimes raised indoors, and allowed to fly out of the house to forage. They don't produce a huge amount of honey, but what they do produce brings a huge price.

 

[mrobinson]

"Marketing, marketing!"