FR2786983A1 - Feeder for bees in beehive has raft placed above food tray and sieve protecting beekeeper when pouring food - Google Patents

Abstract

The bee feeder is composed of a food tray (1) containing a raft (6) on which the bees can move and through which they gather the food contained in the reservoir (3). Food is poured through a sieve (9) which protects the beekeeper. The raft has a frame (10) and a canvas (8) to allows the bees to collect food with their tongues.

Description

The present invention relates to the directed manufacturing of agro-

food

by bees.

  Bees can agree to incorporate substances into their honey that humans make available to them in their hive. This honey enrichment process requires the implementation of a special hive. We know of the existence of such an approach described in patent No. 2,607,357 which involves the presence of two swarms in the same hive. We observe that its concept

  feeder tray causes bee mortality from drowning and difficult cleaning

  the. In addition, the feeding requires beforehand the smoking of the hive in order to pro-

  cover the beekeeper by putting the bees to sleep.

  The presence of two swarms leads to a high consumption of honey by bees.

  them and therefore an operating loss.

  This hive allows the implementation of an optimized feeding process

  avoiding drowning bees and having to smoke them.

  The first characteristic of the device consists of an assembly made up of: - a feeding tray containing a raft on which the bees move and through which they gather food contained in the tank, - and a sieve through which one pours food, a sieve whose function is

  to protect the beekeeper by preventing bees from passing.

  A feed tray consists mainly of a box whose sides measure a few centimeters in height (about 6 centimeters). This box intended to receive

  a liquid is called a reservoir. A raft floats in the tank.

  A characteristic of the present invention consists in that the raft is provided with a rigid canvas or not, the mesh size of which allows the language of the

bees in the tank.

  The raft consists of a frame on which a canvas is stretched. The bees can therefore move around on the tank, without the risk of drowning and taking the liquid with their

  tongue through the mesh of the canvas.

  One of the characteristics of the frame is to be made of any material and any profile

  which allows the raft loaded with bees to float.

  The frame can consist of a hollow or solid structure whose dimensions

  are calculated to support the weight of the bees distributed on the canvas.

  The objective aimed by the realization of this present device is to implement a

feeding process.

  One of the characteristics of the bee feeding process,

  the device consists in that the food provided is water-soluble.

  This food being dissolved in a liquid, they can easily be poured through the sieve. The beekeeper removes the roof of the hive, pours the liquid through the sieve and the raft to fill the tank. This operation can be carried out manually, as well as continuously and discontinuously. The feeding equipment includes the feeding tray (1) consisting (fig A) of a frame (2) provided with a reservoir (3) . The wall (5) of the tank is set back so as to allow the bees to circulate in the corridor without bottom, thus allowing their vertical movement. The wall (5) is of a height less than that of the frame (2) thus allowing the bees to circulate on the raft (6) floating in the

tank (3).

  The raft (6) is provided (fig B) with a frame (7) made of floating materials (wood ...) on which is stretched a canvas (8) rigid or not, the mesh size of which is calculated to allow the bees to pass their tongue through to take the food contained in the tank. Minimum space is left between the tank walls and the raft frame

  in order to avoid a risk of jamming while preventing the bees from slipping in between.

  A screen (9) made up (fig C) of a frame (10) on the surface of which is fixed a trellis (of ventilated veil type) (11) is placed on the feeder. The hive cover (12) (fig D)

is placed on the sieve.

  The tank (3) is filled by removing the cover (12) from the container.

  che from which the bees cannot exit through the upper part because they are blocked by the

  screen (11) of the screen (9). We fill the tank (3) by pouring the food through the ta-

  put (9). The filling can be carried out manually as described above or according to an automation in order to make productivity gains or avoid the alteration of the

  food in contact with air and heat. The feeding is carried out according to sequen-

  these times and volumes specific to each type of food provided. The food app-

  scope is previously diluted in a liquid.

Claims (4)

  1) Feeder device for bees characterized in that it consists of: a feeder tray (1) containing a raft (6) on which the bees move and through which they gather food contained in the tank (3) and a sieve through which food is poured, sieve whose function is to protect the beekeeper by preventing the bees from passing. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the raft is provided with a frame and a rigid canvas or not whose mesh size allows to pass the language of the bees through.   3) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the frame consists of   any material and profile that allows the floating of the raft loaded with bees.   4) Method for feeding the bees using the device according to one   any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the food provided is water soluble.