GB2119619A - A device for gathering pollen from bees - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for collecting pollen from bees comprising a screen (3) provided with a plurality of openings (4) therein, each opening having a narrow lower portion (4a) through which the legs of the bees can pass, and an enlarged upper portion (4b) through which the body and abdomen can pass. As the legs pass through the narrow lower portion, they rub against the side walls thereof and the pollen falls off, the body of the bee meanwhile freely passing through the enlarged upper section without damaging itself. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for gathering pollen from bees This invention relates to an improved device for gathering pollen from the legs of a bee either as or just before it enters a beehive, the bee being able to pass quickly through an opening in the device without damaging its wings, legs or abdomen.

In the prior art, in order to collect pollen from the bees, the beehive has had a collector at its entrance in the form of one or two sheets of screen plate which form a series of round or square shaped openings through which a bee can enter. When the bee enters the beehive through one of these openings, the pollen attached to its legs is removed against the outer edge of the opening. However, as the bee passes through the opening, the head and front legs pass through first followed by the abdomen and the rear legs, the wings sometimes getting rubbed. Thus, it will be seen that as a bee passes through the opening it takes time and its wings or abdomen may be damaged or injured.The latter effect may cause problems because the injured bee may not work as hard as it could and/or it may collect less pollen or it may have its life shortened, thereby reducing the eventual amount of pollen collected.

It is an object of the invention therefore to provide a device for use in the entrance to a beehive which makes use of the bee's habit to use the entrance and includes a series of specifically shaped openings through which the bee can pass quickly and safely. The openings used in the device of the present invention make it possible for the bees to pass quickly through without damaging or otherwise injuring their wings, abdomen or legs, the pollen attached around the legs of a bee being efficiently removed so that good collection of the pollen is achieved.

According to the invention there is provided a device for gathering pollen from bees entering a beehive comprising a pollen collecting screen formed with a plurality of openings, each of which has a wider upper section through which the body of the bee can pass and a narrow lower section through which the legs of the bee can pass and be contacted by the portion of the screen forming said narrow section to remove the pollen therefrom.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a beehive fitted with a device of the invention, only a part of which is shown, Figure 2 is a view of one opening in the device of Figure 1, showing the bee about to enter, Figure 2-1 is an enlarged scrap view of the device of Figure 1, and Figures 3a-3f show examples of other forms of openings which may be provided.

Referring to drawings, there is shown a pollen collector 1 having a screen plate 3 with a plurality of openings 4 therein which is adapted to be placed in entrance 2 to a hive. The screen 3 may be formed of any suitable material, for example, plastic, wood, metal, fabric, etc.

The preferred shape for the openings 4 is with a conically widened space at its upper part and a generally square narrow space 4a at its lower part with substantially vertical side walls. The conically widened space 4b in the upper part is the space through which the body of the bee passes, the narrow space in the lower part being the space through which the legs of the bee pass. This is shown in Figure 2. Wall 5 separates the openings 4 from each other so that a bee can make its way into the hive at whichever point it lands.

In order to provide an adequate footing, the exterior footing 7 is 2-4 mm in length and the interior footing 6 is 4-8 mm in length. These footings 6, 7 comprise a single piece of material which extends beyond the opening at its inner and outer sides as can be seen from Figure 2-1.

When the bee goes through an opening 4, since its body passes through the conically wider space 4b, its wings are not damaged or injured. On the other hand, since the pollen covered legs of the bee pass through the narrow space 4a, they contact both sides thereof as they pass through and the pollen falls off and is collected in the bottom of a drawer in the beehive.

Junction 4c between the upper conical space 4b and the square bottom space 4a may be arcshaped so that the abdomen of the bee is not scratched or injured as it passes through the opening 4.

As explained above, the preferred device of the invention has openings 4 shaped to include a conically widening space in its upper part and a substantially square narrower space in its lower part. However, depending on the habits or types of bee, it is possible to selectively change the shape of the opening 4 to one of the other examples illustrated in detail in Figure 3.

For example, in Figure 3a, the bottom part of the opening has vertical side walls to define a substantially square space and arcuate shaped upper walls 4e with a horizontal top wall 4f. In Figure 3b, the bottom 4g is generally arcuate with the top 4h arcuate in the opposite direction, the upper side walls 4i extending outwardly to form a generally fan-shaped upper opening. In Figure 3c, the upper part of the opening 4j is generally circular. In Figure 3d, the upper space 4k is generally keyhole shaped. In Figure 3e, it has the illustrated spade or onion shape 4/. In Figure 3f, the junction 4m between the upper and lower sections is inwardly curved and the upper section is generally rectangular.

Because the entrance openings are shaped as illustrated with a wider upper region and a narrower lower region, the bee may pass through easily with only slight contact therewith. Thus, the bee will not damage itself or come up against any resistance during passage through the opening so its working efficiency is increased. On the other hand, since the pollen attached to its legs is removed by contact with both sides of the narrow space in the lower part, it is possible to gather the pollen from the bee more effectively.

Claims (14)

1. A device for gathering pollen from bees entering a beehive comprising a pollen collecting screen formed with a plurality of openings, each of which has a wider upper section through which the body of the bee can pass and a narrow lower section through which the legs of the bee can pass and be contacted by the portion of the screen forming said narrow section to remove the pollen therefrom.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said narrow lower section is substantially square in crosssection.

3. A device as in either of claims 1 or 2 wherein the upper section is generally conical in crosssection.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the walls of the upper section are generally arcuate in crosssection.

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the upper section has walls which widen outwardly from the bottom sections.

6. A device as in claim 5 wherein the top of the upper section is arcuate.

7. A device as in claim 1 wherein the upper section is partly circular in cross-section.

8. A device as in claim 1 wherein the upper section is generally keyhole shaped.

9. A device as in claim 1 wherein the upper section is generally spade shaped.

10. A device as in claim 1 wherein both said upper and lower sections are generally rectangular in cross-section, the junction between the two sections being inwardly arcuate.

11. A device as in any one of the preceding claims wherein a wall is provided between each opening to separate it from an adjacent opening so that a bee can make its way through only one opening regardless of where it lands.

12. A device as in any one of the preceding claims wherein an exterior footing 2-4 mm in length is provided outside each opening, an interior footing 4-8 mm in length also being provided inside each opening.

1 3. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the interior and exterior footings comprise a single piece of material.

14. A device substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.