Virtual Booth

Pollinators play an essential role in transferring pollen between flowers for the production of seeds and fruits: a process crucial for plant reproduction. With no pollinators, we’ll have no flowers or fruits, and natural food webs would be irreparably damaged. Today, pollinators are facing dire threats like habitat loss and the use of pesticides, causing worldwide insect populations to decline. Our essential question is: How can we help to promote pollinators in Malaysia? Lair Bee&Bee is an innovative insect hotel designed to offer shelter and nesting sites to solitary insects in order to help stabilise their numbers, halt biodiversity loss and sustainably manage the environment. It was built from recycled wood and filled with various materials to offer different nesting sites for different insects’ needs. These included: bamboo rods and logs with carefully drilled holes to match the preferred diameter of small bees; assorted types of wood for carpenter bees; leaf litter for beetles; flowering plants to act as attractants and to offer nectar to the insects; and containers of water for drinking. The project was waterproofed and sited near a school garden. Daily observations were recorded and data was reviewed to determine the most successful materials inside the insect hotel in order to refine and perfect the design. Lair Bee&Bee has attracted numerous insects and proved effective in offering shelter and a temporary home to local pollinators. Furthermore, it has been used as a teaching tool in school to educate students on the importance of pollinators.