World Bee Day & Bee Bricks in Construction

There are 250 species of solitary bees in Britain which play a fundamental role in ecosystems by enhancing biodiversity and agriculture. Unfortunately, the existing types of nests for solitary bees are becoming increasingly rare due to modern construction practices, where they would often nest in crumbling mortar or old brick work.

However, the way that we incorporate biodiversity in new construction is evolving and many planners are seeking new solutions for diversifying local ecosystems. One way in which planners seek to protect bees is by incorporating bee bricks in new builds. Bee bricks are the same size as regular bricks but include a series of narrow openings where bees are known to rest. It is a simple but effective replicate of their known habitat.

On world bee day we are celebrating the new planning law that was introduced in Brighton & Hove, stating that for new buildings taller than 5 metres, bee bricks should be incorporated to provide nests for solitary bees.

This is welcome news for the 250 species of solitary bees and for us here at JAW! We hope to see these innovative solutions evolve further and see them implemented within future projects.