I’m rumbling amid the bees these days. Remember the bumblebee-like tiny robot from MIT labs? Now, only a day after that coverage, I’m staring into a LEGO Beehive set. Initially made available on LEGO Ideas, the set has got its share of love – the pre-requisite of 10,000 votes – to ensure that the LEGO Review Board is compelled to contemplate whether the beehive deserves to be an official LEGO Ideas set you and I would love (Speaking for others besides the 10K deeply in awe brick-heads, who think the idea is worth the love).
The beehive is the brainchild of user SoGenius106, who informs that the LEGO set is made because of his love for bees, and believes its playability and functionality would make this a fun LEGO set to own. The build, we believe was submitted by the creator to LEGO Ideas almost two years ago, and through that time and persistent effort, has the interesting: part fun and part educational creation, been able to find the support of 10,000 fans to become a set worth reviewing for LEGO.
Designer: LEGO Ideas
Bees are essential pollinators that are responsible for almost one-third of the food we consume. Without the bees, our ecosystem would dramatically decline. A LEGO set signifying the importance of bees and helping us explore their habitat is a good idea to “raise awareness and appreciation for bees.” This beehive set is built from 1085 pieces. It has a split-open design that reveals the bees residing inside, including the blue queen bee commanding the workers, while a helicopter-style rotor comprising 3 spokes with bees at their ends mimics the flying bees outside of their hive. These bees can either be spun smoothly by hand or using a spinner, just by a simple twisting motion. On the inside, however, two bees can be spun using their respective knobs on the outside.
Referring to the queen bee and the beehive’s versatility, SoGenius106 notes, “Queen Bee, made noticeable by her blue coloration…is in her own area where she is producing eggs, called the brood nest. Each bee can be removed and placed to your liking.” On opening the split design, the hive reveals 1×1 round plates representing golden honey and colorful pollen throughout its interior. For those honey fans wishing for the honey produced by the resident bees; the set comes with a flower pot and a jar full of honey.
Now that the set has been through the supporters and is in LEGO’s court, the important question is: Given all the awareness and educational benefits of the build, would people actually buy this as a display piece, or as a brickwork worth building over and over? In all fairness, it’s worth considering the young age group as is, but to engage some adults, the beehive could incorporate internal complexity and external texture.
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