Buzz around new exhibit

The hive, designed in collaboration with the Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER) at the University of WA, is the second live animal exhibit at Scitech after the chicken hatching dome.

Scitech exhibition designer Brett Turner said creating the Visible Hive had presented the additional challenge of dealing with a living organism and extra considerations were made to ensure a happy hive as well as the safety of visitors.

‘In this case we thought a beehive is something people would be able to observe closely and they’re fairly independent so they will be able to look after themselves and through that process people will get to see what happens inside,’ Mr Turner said.

Mr Turner said he hoped the Visible Hive would help educate people about the honeybee and teach them to live in wonder, not in fear, of the species that was an integral part of the ecosystem.