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SANCTUARY
EMMA WIBLE
wibleeg@gmail.com 317.408.3757
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as humans have continued to expand their ecological footprint, they have excluded the very organisms which allow them to live and thrive.
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... what if the choices humans have made in regards to eliminating insects, and specifically bees in urban settings could be reversed? instead of eliminating bees from the urban environment, dedicating a location within the urban environment which provides a sanctuary for bees to thrive and encourages plant and insect diversity. while also raising awareness about climate change
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WHY BEES? there are a multitude of reasons why humans should care about the health and well being of honey bees. there are three keys reasons why humans should be concerned about the drastically decreasing population of honey bees. those three reasons are as follows:
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pollination
economy
diversity
: bees are one of the key pollinators, almost 90% of plants rely on pollinators to reproduce. Bees play a key role in food webs, without pollination around 73% of food in stores will disappear, from fruits and vegetables to milk and beef products
: it is estimated that in 2010, bees contributed $40 billion to the economy, through pollination of crops as well as in production of honey and wax which can be used in variety of different areas
: bees help promote the health and growth of wild and native flowers which enables a greater amount of biodiversity, beauty in landscapes and gardens
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as awareness of climate change and the frailty of our environment is increasingly growing, many people are aware of the importance of pollinators to the existence of mankind. bees pollinate around 70% of the food humans need to survive, as well has pollinating plants which humans use for medical purposes.
in a personal study conducted about how people ages 18-55 feel about and perceive bees, over half of the participants understood the value of bees but still felt a level of fear and lack of knowledge about honey bees.
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PERCEPTION ABOUT BEES
“when you hear or think about bees, what are your emotions?”
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
• “they do great things for the environment” • “bees grow flowers. bees good” • “necessary for almost if not all the food we eat!” • “honestly very kind bugs. i’ve pet them before” • “bees are why we have the produce we do. they also create honey which is used in medical products and used for allergies, colds and so many other things. bees are harmless.”
• “i was stung when i was young and they still scare me” • “initial reaction is negative cuz i’m terrified of them” • “stingy, ouch” • “i got stung by 3 wasps as a kid and now have a small fear of all stinging creatures” • “im allergic so i don’t like wasps” • “they could sting me and make weird nosies”
75% 25%
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MISCONCEPTIONS many people react to honey bees out of a fear because they lack knowledge about honey bees and how they operate. there are several misconceptions which the general population believes about honey bees.
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bees are the only pollinators
bees are colorblind
all bees sting
all bees produce honey
all bees live in hives bees and wasp the same
common misconceptions about bees
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there are around 200,000 different species of pollinators bees have five eyes honey bees only sting when threaten
a single bee in their lifetime produces 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey a queen can lay up 2,000 eggs a day losing a stinger can cause a bee to die
truth about bees
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1947
1970
2021
6 million hives
4 million hives
2.5 million hives
over the last 5 decades, the amount of honey bee hives have drastically decreased from 6 million hives to 2.5 million hives
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REASONS FOR DECLINE habitat destruction : vegetation the honey bees need to produce honey is being destroyed for roadways, manicured laws, non-native gardens, manicured laws and crops // distances between suitable patches during migration cause individual to die during migration
climate change
: the changing weather patterns and the warming of the planet are disrupting the synchrony between flowering plants and pollinators // causing the pollinators to arrive at flowers either too early or too late
insecticides
: prevent and repel to reduce the amount of insects in the area, prevent bees from being able to collect nectar and pollen from flowers // also kill bees and causes diseases within the hive which quickly spread
diseases
: since bees live in a close community, diseases and parasites easily spread in a hive // mites are attacking honey bee colony and feed on the bees’ hemolymph // acute bee paralysis virus is also destroying bee colonies
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DILEMMA honey bees are an essential organism, which humans rely on. over the past decades, honey bee populations have been drastically decreasing due to their habitats being destroyed for urban development.
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PROPOSAL
creating a honey bee habit within a urban environment, which provides a safe haven for the honey bees to live, grow and thrive. while also providing a place for people to experience nature within a urban environment and grow in awareness of the frailty of the earth’s ecosystem.
PRECEDENTS
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INSECTARIUM // CANADA designed and developed by a research facility, this structure is constructed of 384 hexagonal cardboard tubes. the shape was derived from the structural characteristics of chitin, which is found in the exoskeleton and wings of insects. The tubes not only provide a structural form, but also in each tube is an insect terrarium. this structure provides space for not only mechanicals, but also places for insects to live and grow.
photos and drawing by kaltenbachlab
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HOTHOUSE // LONDON designed in london for the london design festival. the portable green house was designed to show the effects of global warming by showcasing the tropical plants which will be able to grow in london by 2050. studio weave designed the greenhouse and placed it in an area to spur people to interact with nature and the structure itself. the hothouse brought nature to an urban environment and made it accessible to communities in urban environments.
photos Ed Reeve
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BEE BRICKS // GREEN&BLUE created by a design company in cornwall, these bee bricks provide homes for solitary bees. there are different size holes to accommodate for different size species. these bricks can be used in typical construction or simply placed in a small garden. they allow for a variety of insects to be able to live and thrive in urban settings.
photos GREEN&BLUE
SPACE PLANNING
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hive human habitat grow
arrive
bee hive
diagram of distribution of space
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BEES the main purpose of the space is to provide an urban sanctuary for honey bees. giving honey bees a place to be able to grow and thrive in environment humans have excluded them from them and destroyed. a space which mimics their natural habitat and has what they need in order to survive. + individual hives + modular hives + plants which have nectar and pollen + accessible to harvest honey and wax + protection for the bees from the elements as well as from humans
photo by Antony Cooperba
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BEEKEEPERS in order to provide the bees with a healthy and sustainable environment, beekeepers are needed to insure the health of the colonies as well as being able to harvest the honey and beeswax. + accessible ways to harvest honey + ways to provide for the bees wellbeing + expandable hives for growth of bee colonies
photo by Arthur Brognoli
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VISITORS while this area is focused on providing a habitat for the honey bees it also serves as an area for the community and public to be able to learn about honey bees and see how they live and produce honey. + ability to see and understand how a hive works + seating areas + restful and rejuvenating + enjoyable moments with nature + opportunities to watch beekeepers harvest honey and take care of the bees
photo by Jonas Mohamadi
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DISTRIBUTION OF SPACE arrival - entry
- 350 sq ft - 350 sq ft
grow
- 3,500 sq ft
hives
- 1,000 sq ft
- vertical garden - ground garden
- 9 enclosed habitats
human
- circulation - moments of pause - seating
-1,500 sq ft - 2,000 sq ft
- 1,000 sq ft - 1,500 sq ft
- 2,300 sq ft - 1,700 sq ft - 200 sq ft - 300 sq ft
USERS:
- 9 hives//opportunity it expand - 20 people
SITE REQUIREMENTS
- central and accessible site - green area available - urban - building facades to build hives on - south facing - within 5 miles of the cincinnati zoo, mt. adams, and smale park
square foot estimate total - 4,600 sq ft wall surface - 4,500 sq ft
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SITE
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119 w 9th Street Cincinnati, OH • near the cincinnati public library • surrounded by residents, single and multifamily • down the road from cincinnati christian academy • black coffee on corner • event space the phoenix is around the corner • desolate area with a lack of greenery and is surrounded by infrastructure • within 5 miles of local areas with flowers and other greenery
photos by googlemaps
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cincinnati zoo & botanical gardens
2.2
mt. adams
es l i m
1.5 miles
proposed site smale park
N
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SUN PATTERNS in the process of determining the location of the urban bee habit, examining the amount of sunlight the space receives during the year was crucial. during the summer months the space receives a large amount of indirect and direct sunlight. in order to provide pollen and nectar for the bees in the hives, having large amounts of sunlight during the growing months allows for the space to have a variety of different plants and flowers that enable the space to be continually in bloom.
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NW
NE
NW
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N
E
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W
SE
SW
NE
E
SW
S
S
W
SE S
N
NE
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NW
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S SW S
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june 21 - summer solstice
W
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december 21 - winter solstice
EXPERIENCE
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the space is accessible from the north west side as well as from the south east side. the surrounding buildings define the site as well as providing a surface for the bee hives and the other boxes to live on. as one travels through the space, the focal point is what is on the walls. on the exterior walls of the surrounding buildings are the bee boxes, which contain the bee hives as well boxes which contain flora and foliage for the bees, which provide pollen and nectar for the bees to harvest.
6’ 3’
12 9’
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HONEY BEE EXPERIENCE the design of the space was defined and dictated by what bee colonies require to grow thrive. the largest amount of space was allocated to the bees and providing them with safety and a food supply so they can flourish in the site. the majority of the vertical wall space is dedicated to housing the bee hives and foliage which provide nourishment for the colonies. the ground area also provides additional space for fruit trees and bushes for the bees to pollinate.
bee hives
6’ 3’
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HUMAN EXPERIENCE the second largest amount of area is dedicated to the human experience, and builds off of the foundation the bees have set. within the space are moment for people to experience humans hives. built into the green walls are individual hives for people to sit and enjoy the beauty of the space, as well as watching the bees and beekeepers work. within the central area, there are more communal hives for the community to come together. this is a space for the community to come and enjoy a piece of nature within the urban seating as well as a place for the community to come together and gather. human hives
6’ 3’
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URBAN OBSERVATIONS to accentuate the idea of the marriage of the urban and the natural environment, the materials chosen for the design were derived from materials and textures from the existing site. all of the materials used in the design are directly inspired from urban materials. by using materials in the current site, from the rust on a signage post to the layering of bricks as a foundation, it enhances the design goal of the joining of the urban and natural environments.
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FLORA bees mainly harvest pollen and nectar during the warmer months. when determining what flora and foliage would be in the space, the goal was that during the spring and summer months most of the foliage would be in bloom for the benefit of the honey bees. for the enjoyment of the people who use and travel through the space, that there would continually be color in the space throughout the year. the following diagram was created to explore the types of flowers that would be planted in the space to ensure that there would be flora continually blooming in the warmer months and then also some foliage that would remain green during the colder months
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WINTER
FALL
SUMMER
SPRING
wistera
chocolate vine
morning glory adonis
passion fruit
garden phlox
fire cracker black eye susan vine snowdrop
clematis hydrangea
montauk daisy
honey suckle peony
jasmine winter heather
pansie
pansie cone flowers
chokeburn
tulips
bee balm
autumn joy creeping phlox
creeping juniper wild thyme
fire thorn violet freckles
bugleweed
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CULTIVATION beekeepers are essential to ensuring the growth and the successfulness of the bees and of the colonies. beekeepers routinely check on the health of the hives and are able to identify any diseases that can quickly spread through colonies and destroy the colony. beekeepers also are able to create new colonies if there is a new queen in the original colony. this site will be maintained and operated by two honeys.
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MAINTENANCE based in cincinnati, oh, two honeys focuses on educating the community about bees as well as relocating unwanted honey bees. they offer supplies for personal bee keeping and teaching people the importance of bees and how to maintain personal hives.
this project will be maintained by two honeys. they will maintain the bee hives, health of bees, honey production, insuring the flowers are growing, while also using this space as an educational space to teach the public about honey bees.
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MODULARITY
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in designing and organizing the bee boxes, inspiration was found from examine the current site. all the buildings surrounding the site are constructed out of brick. the walls like the module of the brick, take a simple component and each “brick” builds off of the one below it to create something special. the boxes which contain the bee hives are the largest and most prominent boxes. the other adjacent boxes which alternate between being dedicated to plants, or being a supportive element for the plant life.
photos by Andreas Schantl, Tim Mossholder, DLKR, Ante Hamersmit
sw axon
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DANCES the round dance and the waggle dance are two different dance in which foraging bees communicate to each other where profitable food sources are. it is believed that the round indicates food near the hive, but when the food source is more than 50 meters away the bees use the waggle dance.
waggle dance
the circulation through space, follows that of both the waggle dance and the round dance. the goal with the circulation was to cause the people traveling through and experiencing the space to follow the dance of the bees. round dance
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N 6’ 3’
12 9’
bee dance
human dance
north perspective
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south perspective
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THE HIVE // HIERARCHY within the bee colony there is a hierarchy to how the bees interact with one another as well as the distribution jobs of the different bees. the social order of the colonies brings structure and insures that the bees have enough honey to survive when flowers aren’t in bloom. the hierarchy also guarantees that every bee has a job which supports the health and growth of the colony as a whole. there are three types of different honey bees in the hive.
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- queen -
- drones -
- workers -
• larger abdomen • main job is to lay eggs and grow the colony • only leaves hives once in her life • only one queen per hive • lays 2,000 eggs per day • lives for 2 to5 years • produces a pheromone which if she leaves quickly decreases
• male honey bees • larger and stouter than the other bees • develop from unfertilized bees • feed themselves from the honey cells or beg worker bees for food • only job is to fertilized the young queen bees • drone production ceases in late summer as available food declines
• smallest bee in the colony • travels up to five miles to find food • secrete wax to build honey combs • produce royal jelly to feed the queen and the larvae • defend the hive from intruders • collect pollen and nectar to create honey
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- queen -
- drones -
- workers -
the main area of the space is to provide safety for honey bees to thrive and grow, but also to provide the necessary food for the bees to survive. this area is the focal point of the entire project.
in relationship with the structure that provides the bee habitat is the area that is the human habitat. these areas are focused on the humans well being and happiness.
the final zone is the areas in between. they provide room for fruit trees to grown and be pollinated by the bees but also provide rooms for people to personally curate and experience. 6’ 3’
12 9’
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floor plan
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HIVES the key element of the space is the bee hives. there are a total of eleven hives in the space, but as the colonies grow and more colonies are added to the space, additional hives can be added to the walls. all of the hives are located above fifteen feet to prevent people disturbing the bees and also to prevent the possibility of bees harming the people in the space.
north elevation
12’
6’ 3’
9’
south elevation bee hives
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west elevation
12’
6’ 3’
9’
east elevation bee hives
west wall perspective
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east wall perspective
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HONEYCOMB
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BEE
the hive’s growth is based in the health of the honeycomb within the hive. the honeycomb makes up the hive and it where the bees store the honey and serves as a nursery for the young honey bees. for the beekeepers to ensure the health of the colony, they need to be able to access the interior of the hive. to access the hives, one of the sides opens and the frames, which contain can be removed to check on the health of the colony as well as being able to harvest the honey.
access panel
frame removal
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HUMAN
gaining inspiration from the bee hive and how the bee hives works, within the space there are two types of human hives. there is both are small and more individualistic smaller seating area. these hives are more incorporated into the wall structure, allowing people to gain a similar perspective as the bees do in their hives.
individual hive
the larger modular hive is incorporated into the more public area of the site. these areas allows and encourages people to interact with one another through creating an element of community. communal hive
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south wall preservative
west wall perspective
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west wall perspective
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RYTHMNS
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bee colonies go through rhythms as the seasons changes. these cycles insure the health and growth of the colonies. the space much like bee colonies experiences changes through out the year. the warmer months are filled with growth and blooming flowers, but as the weather turns colder and the foliage begins to die, the structure of the wall begins to emerge and display its beauty to the world.
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CYCLE OF A HIVE fall / winter-
serves as a reset for the hive, new eggs are laid as temperate drops, older and drone bees die off
spring-
colony expand rapidly, nectar and pollen are collected by worker bees, new queen emerges and establishes her new colony
summer-
peak of colony’s population, peak storage, surplus food for winter storage
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CYCLE OF THE SPACE fall / winter-
as the amount of sunlight decreases, the plants begin to stop blooming and producing pollen. this times serves as a reset for the plants, but also reveals parts of the space that previously were hidden from view
spring-
with the warming of the weather and the amount of sun increasing, plants begin growing and producing pollen. the space begins to awaken after the winter
summer-
most of the plants are in bloom and producing pollen for the bees, but also providing enjoyment for people in the space
summertime
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winter
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IMPACT
while the issue of the decreasing amounts of honey bees in the world, is a cultural issue. this space begins to demonstrate how changes can be made within the urban setting which provides a safe place for bees to grow and thrive within a urban setting. this site has 11 hives, which means that up to 880,000 bees could live in this site. this site also provides a space for the community to come together and experience nature in a nature barren landscape, and the opportunity to see and learn about honey bees.
ADDITIONAL RENDERINGS
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north east perspective
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south west perspective
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south west perspective
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THANK - YOU! SAID 5001-5002 PROFESSOR MANDY WOLTJER EMMA WIBLE WIBLEEG@GMAIL.COM 317.408.3757
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BIOGRAPHY “10 Reasons Why Bees Are Important...(and Awesome!).” BuzzAboutBees.net, https://www.buzzaboutbees.net/10-Reasons-Why-Bees-AreImportant.html. “4 Benefits of Bees (and What to Do about Their Disadvantages).” American Pest Professionals, https://www.americanpestpros.com/4benefits-of-bees-and-what-to-do-about-their-disadvantages. “About Honey Bees: Types, Races, and Anatomy of Honey Bees.” About Honey Bees | Types, Races, and Anatomy of Honey Bees, https:// www.uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/special-programs/beekeeping/about-honey-bees.aspx. Enjoli, Audrey. “No Bees, No Food: It’s That Simple.” LIVEKINDLY, 15 Dec. 2020, https://www.livekindly.co/no-bees-no-food-its-that-simple/. “Home >>.” Beekeeping Insider, https://beekeepinginsider.com/the-three-different-types-of-honey-bees-in-a-hive/. “Honey Bee Viruses, the Deadly Varroa Mite Associates – Bee Health: Varroa Mite, Bee, Honey Bee.” Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/721772277769500033/. “How Far Does a Bee Fly & How Does It Navigate?” British Beekeepers Association, https://www.bbka.org.uk/how-far-does-a-bee-fly-howdoes-it-navigate. “Inside and out of the Beehive.” PerfectBee, 16 Nov. 2020, https://www.perfectbee.com/learn-about-bees/the-life-of-bees/inside-and-out-ofthe-beehive. Kaceymya. “7 Things People Believe about Bees That Aren’t True Keeping Backyard Bees.” Keeping Backyard Bees, 16 Dec. 2019, https:// www.keepingbackyardbees.com/7-things-people-believe-about-bees-that-arent-true-zbwz1912zsau/. Philip Donkersley Senior Research Associate in Entomology. “Bees: How Important Are They and What Would Happen If They Went Extinct?” The Conversation, 14 Dec. 2021, https://theconversation.com/bees-how-important-are-they-and-what-would-happen-if-they-wentextinct-121272.
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BIOGRAPHY
Philip Donkersley Senior Research Associate in Entomology. “Bees: How Important Are They and What Would Happen If They Went Extinct?” The Conversation, 14 Dec. 2021, https://theconversation.com/bees-how-important-are-they-and-what-would-happen-if-theywent-extinct-121272. “Pollinators: Threats to Pollinators.” Official Site of the U S Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/pollinators/pollinatorpages/ threats.html. Rusty, et al. “An Immense Observation Hive.” Honey Bee Suite, 17 Feb. 2018, https://www.honeybeesuite.com/an-immenseobservation-hive/. says:, A., et al. “The Benefits of Bees.” PerfectBee, 17 Sept. 2020, https://www.perfectbee.com/learn-about-bees/the-science-of-bees/ the-benefits-of-bees. “Seasonal Cycles of Activities in Colonies.” Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium, https://canr.udel.edu/maarec/ honey-bee-biology/seasonal-cycles-of-activities-in-colonies/. “Suburban Bees: How to Keep Bees in Residential Areas.” Suburban Bees: How to Keep Bees in Residential Areas | Pollinator Network @ Cornell, https://pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/master-beekeeper-program/meet-our-master-beekeepers/suburban-bees-how-keepbees-residential-areas/. “We Need Bees.” Planet Bee Foundation, https://www.planetbee.org/why-we-need-bees. “What Would Happen If Bees Went Extinct?” BBC Future, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140502-what-if-bees-went-extinct.