WO2004021773A1

WO2004021773A1 - Method for feeding social insects and feeding device for social insects

Info

Publication number: WO2004021773A1
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000619
Authority: WO
Inventors: Petrus Cornelis Koppert; Remco Walter Huvermann
Original assignee: Koppert B.V.
Priority date: 2002-09-04
Filing date: 2003-09-04
Publication date: 2004-03-18
Also published as: AU2003261676A1; NL1022292C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for feeding social insects such as bumblebees, bees or ants.

Description

METHOD FOR FEEDING SOCIAL INSECTS AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR SOCIAL INSECTS

The invention relates to a method for feeding social insects such as bumblebees, bees or ants such as those of the genus Bombus, in particular B . Terrestris, more in particular B . terrestris terrestris and B . terrestris sassaricus, B . canariensis, B . igni tus, B . diversus, B. occidentalis, including related species and sub-species, or the genus Apis such as A . mellifera, such as A. mellifera ligustica or related species or sub-species or those of the superfamily of the Formicoidea, or those of the family of the Meliponinae, for instance from the genus of Melipona or related species and sub-species.

As biological pollinators, colonies of bumblebees, particularly B. terrestris, are presently being used, among others, in agriculture and horticulture to pollinate cultivated crops. The diet of these insects and related species comprises pollen and/or nectar which they collect from flowers. During their pollen and/or nectar-collecting activity they carry pollen from one flower to another, thereby playing a part in the (cross) pollination of plants.

The pollinating work of a bumblebee colony is determined by different factors, which are known to the skilled person. A part is played, among other factors, by the availability of nutrients in the nesting box, the number of workers which mainly carry out the pollinating activity and, since pollen serves as a source of protein, the need of the colony for foods containing protein. The latter is influenced among other things by the number of larvae, the production of the queen (the number of eggs she lays) and the pollen stock of the colony. If there is insufficient demand for foods containing protein, there will be insufficient incentive for the workers to collect nutrients (pollen) . In addition to pollen, nectar serves as principal food for the colony. The demand for nectar can also influence the incentive to collect nutrients.

Colonies of these pollinators are reared in nurseries, from where they are transported to the farms and market gardens where they must fulfill their biological pollinating function. Such transports, which take place in closed nesting boxes, can take a long time, wherein it is not unusual for this to take several days, a week or possibly even longer. During this time it is not possible for the colony to collect foods. Foods in the form of for instance pollen granules and sugar-water is therefore enclosed in the nesting box.

A good measure of the quantity of nutrients is essential here. The quantity of nutrients must be sufficiently large to sustain the colony and/or allow it to develop further. If the availability of protein- containing nutrients in particular is too small, this can inhibit the queen in her production and larvae may even die, and this may result not only in a reduced development of the colony if the protein-containing food is not available for a longer period of time, but also in a reduced incentive of the remaining workers to collect nutrients such as pollen.

In addition, upon arrival at the location where the pollinating work must be carried out, the quantity of nutrients must not be so large that there is therefore no incentive, or an insufficiently great incentive, to collect nutrients such as pollen and/or nectar.

The measuring of the nutrient volume is therefore of essential importance for the quality of the pollinating work carried out by a colony after arriving at the destination where the pollination must take place.

The problem is however that the range of the nutrient requirement of a colony becomes greater as the transport duration is extended. Delays in the transport can further occur which prolong the transport duration. Other factors, such as the outside temperature, can also influence the nutrient requirement of a colony. It is hereby impossible to enclose in the nesting box an exactly measured quantity of food which is precisely sufficient to tide over the colony for the duration of the transport . There is the great danger here of sub- optimal (too large as well as too small) quantities of food being enclosed in the nesting box. From observation of this problem, the inventors have sought a possibility for encouraging a well-fed bumblebee colony within a short time to a high, and preferably their maximum, pollinating activity.

It has been found that this can be achieved by placing at least one food, such as nectar or a substitute therefor, such as sugar-water, or a food containing proteins, such as pollen or a substitute therefor, in a container which is closable and the inner space of which is in contact with the nesting box, this when enclosing a bumblebee colony in for instance a nesting box, for instance for the purpose of transport and/or storage for some time. Access to the container can hereby be closed at the moment that it is desired that the members of the colony start to fulfil their pollinating function. The food is hereby no longer freely available and the members of the colony are forced to obtain their food elsewhere, from outside the nesting box. Their behaviour in respect of collecting foods such as pollen and/or nectar is hereby stimulated, whereby the members of the colony fulfill their pollinating function more quickly compared to the situation wherein there is still a supply of food, such as pollen, available in the nesting box. It can be expected that the foraging behaviour of other social insects can be influenced in similar manner.

The invention therefore relates to a method for feeding social insects, characterized by:

(a) making a quantity of a food available in a freely accessible situation to a colony in a closed nesting box, and subsequently

(b) ending the freely accessible situation of the food in the nesting box

(c) opening the nesting box.

The free availability of nutrients in the nesting box can be influenced with the method according to the invention. The free availability of nutrients in the nesting box directly influences the foraging behaviour outside the nesting box of the members of a colony of social insects. Using the method according to the invention this foraging behaviour can therefore be influenced. The foraging behaviour of the insect outside the nesting box can result in effects which are useful to humans. Insects whose foraging behaviour comprises a pollen and/or nectar-collecting activity can thus be employed for the biological pollenation of crops. In addition, the foraging behaviour of insects outside the nesting box can be the subject of study and/or education. Influencing the foraging behaviour can herein be a useful aid. The free accessibility of the food in the nesting box is understood to mean that it is freely available and/or accessible to the members of the colony, so that they can make use thereof as desired.

The free accessibility of the food can be terminated at any desired moment before the foraging outside the nesting box. The suitable moment at which the free access to the food is ended depends on different factors which are known to the skilled person. Determining a suitable moment for ending the free access to the food therefore lies within the reach of the skilled person. Examples of factors which play a part in determining the moment at which the free access to the food is terminated in suitable manner are, among others, the type of insect being fed using the method according to the invention and the availability of nutrients outside the nesting box.

The free access to the food can for instance be ended 12 to 24 hours before the start of foraging outside the nesting box. If an insect species of the genus bombus is fed using the method according to the invention, the free access to the food is preferably ended 18 to 24 hours before the start of foraging outside the nesting box.

It is generally recommended to carry out the steps (b) and (c) in the described sequence, since the members of the colony will leave the nest more quickly and/or more frequently and/or in larger numbers after a short period of scarcity of nutrients in the nesting box. It will however be apparent to the skilled person that reversing steps (b) and (c) will also lead to good results. In a number of cases it may be desirable to already open the nesting box before terminating the free access to the food. This is for instance possible if the insects are employed for a pollinating function and the members of the colony are already deployed at the beginning of the flowering season of a crop. In such cases it may be that only a small number of flowers has opened, whereby the quantity of food available outside the nest box, for instance pollen and/or nectar, is only small. In such a situation it may be desirable that food remains available in the nesting box so that no shortage thereof occurs. By opening the nesting box the members of the colony will already be able to start their exploratory flights and start the pollinating work on the opened flowers . When the flowering of the crop increases further and the amount of food available outside the hive increases, the free access to the food supply can still be closed off. This will further stimulate the members of the colony to collect food and therein pollinate flowers. The invention therefore also provides a method wherein step (c) is carried out before step (b) .

Ending of the free accessibility of the food can take place by closing off the nutrient in a space (the feeding space) , such as a chamber, wherein the members of the colony do not have free access to the space in question from the nesting box. Closing of the feeding space can take place with a closing means .

A sufficiently large over-measure of the food is preferably placed in the container, whereby the colony can be provided with sufficient nutrients for a long time.

The closing means can comprise any suitable closing means, such as a slide, a flap, a door, a hatch or a cover.

Ending of the free access to the food is possible by operating the closing means such that no free access is possible from the nesting box to the feeding space.

It is advantageous if the nesting box, or in any case the space in which the colony is situated, does not have to be opened for the purpose of ending the free access to the food, irrespective of the manner in which this takes place. By opening the space in which the colony is situated there is the danger of a person being stung by members of the colony. It is further advantageous if, when ending the free access to the food, members of the colony are not permanently cut off from the rest of the colony. A part of the colony could hereby be lost. This is particularly disadvantageous if the queen were to be cut off from the rest of the colony. This could destroy the colony.

If ending of the free access to the nutrient takes place by closing off a feeding space, it is therefore advantageous if there is a free passage from the feeding space to the nesting box. Members of the colony who are located in the feeding space can hereby still leave the feeding space while it is not possible to reach the food in the feeding space from the nesting box.

Ending of the free access to the food can in addition take place by removing the food from the nesting box.

If ending of the free accessibility of the food takes place by removing the food from the nesting box, it is then advantageous if members of the colony are herein not also taken out of the nesting box. This can also result in the loss of members of the colony.

This is for instance possible by incorporating the food in a body which can be placed through an opening in the nesting box, wherein it remains possible to grip the body on the outside. The free accessibility of the food is now terminated by pulling the body out of the opening. The opening can be enclosed by brushes which cover the opening. This prevents a free passage being available for members of the colony out of the nesting box, which would mean opening of the nesting box. Owing to the action of the brushes however, it remains possible to place the body in the bore hole and remove it therefrom again. The presence of brushes is particularly desirable if the opening has a size which is sufficiently large to provide a passage for the members of the colony, such as for instance larger than 10mm, such as 13mm.

In addition to the brushes, comparable means can also be used which cover the opening in comparable manner, such as for instance a series of overlapping, flexible sheets placed along the periphery of the opening .

The body can be a solid body which comprises the food in solid form, such as a rod comprising pollen granules. In addition, the body can comprise a hose or tube comprising a liquid food such as sugar-water. This is possible in that the hose or tube contains a liquid, or in that a capillary wick runs through the hose or tube and is connected to a quantity of liquid food. The end of the hose which is placed in the nesting box can comprise a filter or membrane which can be saturated with the liquid in the hose-like body. The opening can take any desired form, such as round or square or other desired shape. At a distance from the end placed in the nesting box the body can have a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the opening. Thus can be prevented that the body is inserted further into the bore hole than intended.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that the pollinating capacity of the colony is optimal at the location where they must carry out their pollinating function. In the closed situation of the nesting box, for instance for the purpose of transport and/or storage, the larvae are fed optimally and can develop optimally into adults of an optimal size. If there is a shortage of nutrients, the larvae will pupate sooner, whereby smaller adults are obtained. It is known that the smaller adults realize a poorer pollination. It is also possible for larvae to die if they do not obtain optimum nutrition. The invention makes it possible to influence the foraging behaviour of social insects by influencing the availability of food in the nesting box. It is hereby possible to intervene in their foraging activities outside the nesting box.

The optionally freely accessible food can be a food containing protein, such as pollen and/or a substitute therefor, and/or nectar and/or a substitute therefor, such as sugar-water. The nesting box can be of a known type, for instance as commercially available under the name Natupol by Koppert B.V. (Berkel and Rodenrijs) .

The method according to the invention finds application in the pollination of fruit-bearing crops. The invention therefore further relates to a method for cultivating a fruit-bearing crop, wherein a flowering crop is pollinated by a social insect which is fed according to the method of the invention.

The invention further relates to a feeding device which can be applied in the method according to the invention. Using such a feeding device the availability of foods for the colony can be influenced in flexible manner. The device comprises a container for at least one food, preferably a food containing protein, such as pollen. It comprises at least one passage which is suitable for providing members of the colony access from the nesting box to the space inside the container where the nutrient is located, the feeding space and at least one passage, which is suitable for providing the members of the colony access from the feeding space to the nesting box. These passages can coincide. The passages are closable using at least one closing means. At least two positions can be defined using this closing means: a first position wherein there is a free passage from outside the feeding space into the feeding space and vice versa, and a second position wherein the free passage from the space outside the feeding space to the interior space of the feeding space is blocked.

If a food is located in the feeding space, in the first position this nutrient is then freely accessible to the members of the colony from the nesting box and in the second position this nutrient is not freely accessible .

It is advantageous if in the second position there remains a free passage from the feeding space to the space outside the container, so that members of the colony cannot be trapped in the interior space of the container. This would be particularly disadvantageous if the queen were to be trapped. This could destroy the colony. For such a purpose the passage can be closed off by a closing means which only provides a free passage in one direction, to the space outside the container.

Existing means can be used for this purpose, such as a hatch which can only be opened in one direction by the members of the colony.

If there is a free passage out of the feeding space available in the second position, it is recommended that this be located in the vicinity of the position of the passage to the feeding space, or in the vicinity of where it was present. The passage is hereby easier for a member of the colony to find. If the members of the colony have to overcome a difference in height on their way to the feeding space of the container, it is advantageous if the device comprises climbing means in order to facilitate the access to the container for the members of the colony. Such climbing means can comprise steps and sloping surfaces. If the climbing means comprise sloping surfaces, the surface preferably has sufficient resistance to ensure that the members of the colony can crawl upward over it, and/or it comprises means against which the members of the colony can push off. Such push- off means can comprise grooves.

The feeding space will generally form a closed space in the second position. It is possible that the members of the colony build brood cells in this space, thereby closing off a possible free passage available in the second position for reaching the space outside the container from the feeding space. It is therefore recommended to take measures which guarantee the availability of a free path to this passage. This is for instance possible by having a recess run at a high position in a wall or the roof of the feeding space. Members of a bumblebee colony which are shut in can reach the free passage via this recess, which runs to the free passage. The access to and from the container can be formed by one or more passages . The passage used is at least large enough to allow through the smallest active members of the colony and preferably large enough to allow through the queen. A suitable diameter can be larger than about 8 mm, such as larger than 10 mm. For bumblebees a suitable diameter is preferably greater than 10 mm, more preferably 13 mm.

The feeding device according to the invention can be placed in the interior space of a nesting box, such as for instance in the brood box.

The feeding device can be placed freely in the internal space of the nesting box. It does however have advantages to anchor the feeding device to one or more components of the nesting box. The correct position of the feeding device is hereby ensured. The correct positioning could be lost due to bumping against the nesting box and during transport. The correct position is here a position wherein a correct functioning of the feeding device is possible. It is also possible to integrate the feeding device with one or more parts of the nesting box, such as the brood box. This also ensures a correct positioning. This also facilitates the process of assembling a nesting box which comprises the feeding device. In addition, it is possible to arrange the feeding device according to the invention outside the nesting box, with a connection to the internal space of the brood box. A placing close to the brood of the colony is recommended, since it has been found that the queen preferably does not stray too far from the brood in order to feed.

If the feeding device is arranged outside the nesting box, with a connection to the internal space of the brood box, the freely accessible situation can be ended by disconnecting the feeding device from the connection to the internal space of the nesting box. It may be possible to then connect the feeding device to the entrance of the nesting box, which comprises a passage in only one direction, this to the internal space of the nesting box. In this manner members of the colony located in the feeding device are able to return to the brood box and they are not shut off from the colony.

The invention therefore further relates to a nesting box comprising a feeding device according to the invention.

In the foregoing description the invention is elucidated in its relation to the rearing, storage and transport of members of the colony and influencing of the foraging behaviour of the members of the colony. At this moment bumblebees are the most commonly used biological pollinators in agriculture and horticulture. Continuous research is however being carried out in the field of biological pollination and it is certainly possible to envisage that other social insects can be used in the future in similar manner for pollinating functions. In addition, influencing of the foraging behaviour of social insects outside the nesting box may be of interest for other reasons. It is possible here to envisage educational and scientific purposes. Ants could also be employed to clean up a variety of biological waste products. Influencing of the foraging behaviour of members of a colony outside the nesting box could here also have advantages.

It will be apparent to the skilled person that a method according to the invention and the use of the feeding device within this method can also be applied with other social insects, such as bees or ants or stingless bees, such as those of the genus Apis, such as A . mellifera, such as A . mellifera ligustica and related species and sub-species, and those of the superfamily formicoidea or those of the family of the Meliponinae, for instance from the genus of the Melipona or related species and sub-species. It should therefore be understood that application with these and related insects also forms part of the object of the invention. The invention is further described with reference to the following figures, which show non-limitative examples of embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view of the constituent parts of a nesting box in which is placed the feeding device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the feeding device according to the invention in the first position, wherein the food is freely available. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the feeding device according to the invention in the second position, wherein the food is not freely available. Figure 4 is a schematic view of the route which the members of the colony can follow in the second position in order to reach the space outside the container from the internal space of the container of the feeding device according to the invention. Figure 1 shows feeding device 1 according to the invention applied in a known nesting box 2. The shown nesting box 2 is suitable for transporting and/or storing members of the colony. The nesting box comprises a box 3, in which is placed a brood box 4. The box can further be closed with a cover, this not being shown. Brood box 4 is closed at the top with a cover 5. On the underside it rests on a polystyrene insulator 6, which screens the brood box 4 from a bag of sugar-water placed in a box 7. Present in brood box 4 is a sugar-water wick 8 which runs to the sugar-water in bag 7. The sugar- water wick 8 is hereby saturated with sugar-water as long as there is a supply of sugar-water. The sugar- water serves as a source of moisture and as food for the colony. Feeding device 1 according to the invention is placed in the vicinity of sugar wick 8. The entrance 11 is herein directed toward sugar wick 8. This provides the advantage that the insects can easily find the entrance 11. Present in cover 5 is a recess 9 through which a flat rod 23 can be placed. This rod serves to operate cover 15, as discussed hereinbelow. The nesting box further comprises two passages 38 and 39. These passages can be closed using slide 35, which contains three holes. The slide can be placed in front of the passages in three positions. A first position, wherein both passages are closed. A second position, wherein only one passage 38 is opened and a third, wherein both passages are opened. Passage 38 is closed at the rear by a hatch 36 which is pushed through recess 37 in the cover. The hatch is constructed such that passage for the members of the colony is only possible from outside the nesting box to the internal space of the nesting box, and not the other way round.

The nesting box further comprises ventilation holes 40.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the feeding device according to the invention. The device comprises a container 12 which can be reached via the two sloping sides 13,14, which are provided with grooves against which the insects can push. A cover 15 is connected to container 12 by means of hinge 16. Cover 15 and walls 17,18 of the container are provided with protrusions 19 and notches 20 which ensure that cover 15 can be tightly closed. Protrusion 19 further contributes toward the cover 15 remaining open or not closing spontaneously, i.e. when this is not anticipated or intended. Arranged in cover 15 is a recess 21 which, as a reverse U-shape, forms a tunnel 21. The function hereof is further explained in relation to figure 3. In the position as shown in figure 2, there is a passage to the internal space of the container as well as a passage out of feeding space 12 for the members of the colony via sloping surfaces 13,14.

By moving the cover 15 in the direction of arrow 24 using for instance a flat rod 23, which can be placed through cover 5 of brood box 4, the cover 15 can be firmly closed by clamping the protrusions 19 into notches 20 of walls 17,18 of container 12. The device hereby moves into the second position, as is shown in figure 3 for an alternative embodiment. Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a feeding device according to the invention in the second position. It can be seen that no free passage to the internal space of the container is available via sloping side 13. The sloping side 14 now provides access to bridge 25 (shown in figure 4) which leads to passage 26, which is closed using hatch 27. Arranged behind hatch 27 is an opening 28, through which the members of the colony can leave the feeding device. Hatch 27 has a construction such that it only pivots to one side. It hereby only provides passage out of the feeding space of the feeding device and not in the direction leading to the feeding space.

In the top part of the cover is arranged a recess 21 which, as a reverse U, forms a tunnel. This tunnel 21 serves to provide the members of the colony an additional option for reaching the exit passage 22 from feeding space 12. It is possible for solid nesting material to be deposited in feeding space 12 by the bumblebee colony, whereby the free access from the feeding space to passage 22 is made difficult or could even be closed.

The diameter of the hole in which hatch 27 is arranged is for instance 13 mm. The distance between the hole and hatch 27 is for instance 1.5 to 3 mm. The surface 29 (shown in figure 4) for hatch 27 provides sufficient resistance so that the insects can push themselves off in order to open hatch 27, this is possible for instance by arranging grooves. An inclined surface 30 is arranged on the side of the feeding device. Surface 30 serves to prevent cotton nesting material getting into the space between the edges of reservoir 12 and cover 15, whereby cover 15 can no longer be closed. The embodiment shown in figure 3 comprises a gripping point 31 with which it is possible to reopen feeding device 1, for instance using a rod with a hook 32. Other means for opening can also be envisaged, for instance a rope fastened to the cover. This embodiment has the advantage that when the colony must be confined in the nesting box for a longer period, the food in reservoir 12 of the feeding installation can be made available. This may be important in the case of chemical treatment of the crop which the insects are pollinating. In such a situation the insects will be enclosed in brood box 4, for instance by closing passage 39 with slide 35 (figure 1) and keeping clear the passage 38, so as to prevent them from being harmed by the chemicals being used. The feeding device can be anchored for this purpose in order to prevent it being pulled from its position when the cover is pulled open.

Figure 4 shows systematically via which route the members of the colony can leave the internal space of container 12 in the second position.

In alternative embodiments of the feeding device according to the invention, means comparable to the sugar wick can be placed in the closable space of the feeding device according to the invention. The foraging behaviour of social insects can hereby be influenced by determining the availability of liquid foods such as sugar-water, for instance via the method according to the invention. The food is located, or is available, at the position of the wick.

Claims

1. Method for feeding social insects, characterized by: (a) making a quantity of a food available in a freely accessible situation to a colony in a closed nesting box, and subsequently

(b) ending the freely accessible situation of the food in the nesting box (c) opening the nesting box.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that (c) takes place before (b) .

3. Method as claimed in either of the claims 1-2, characterized in that following (a) , (b) and (c) the situation of free access to the food is restored, and the nesting box is closed.

4. Method as claimed in any of the claims 1-3, characterized in that the food is made available in a feeding space and in the situation of free access there is provided a clear passage from and to the feeding space, and a closing means, and the ending of the free access situation is brought about by operating the closing means, whereby the clear passage is closed at least in the direction to the feeding space.

5. Method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that when the free access situation is ended a one- directional passage is provided which only allows passage in the direction out of the feeding space.

6. Method as claimed in either of the claims 4-5, characterized in that the closing means is operated from outside the nesting box.

7. Method as claimed in any of the claims 1-3, characterized in that ending of the free access situation is brought about by removing the food from the nesting box.

8. Method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, following ending of the situation of free access, the situation of free access is restored by placing the food back into the nesting box.

9. Method as claimed in either of the claims 7-8, characterized in that the food is taken out of the nesting box through an opening in the outer wall of the nesting box.

10. Method as claimed in any of the claims 7-9, wherein a more or less solid body comprises the food, which solid body can be gripped on the outside of the nesting box.

11. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the food comprises pollen or a substitute therefor.

12. Method as claimed in any of the claims 1-10, wherein the food comprises nectar or a substitute therefor.

13. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the social insect is selected from the group comprising the genus Bombus, in particular B . Terrestris, more in particular B . terrestris terrestris and B . terrestris sassaricus , B . canariensis, B . igni tus, B . diver sus , B . occidental is, including related species and sub-species, or the genus Apis such as A . mellifera, such as A . mellifera ligustica or related species or sub-species or the superfamily of the Formicoidea, or the family of the Meliponinae, for instance from the genus of the Melipona or related species and sub-species.

14. Method for cultivating a fruit-bearing crop, wherein a flowering crop is provided and this flowering crop is pollinated by a biological pollinator, characterized in that the biological pollinator is a social insect which is fed according to the method as claimed in any of the claims 1-13.

15. Feeding device for social insects, characterized in that it comprises a feeding space, with a passage from and to the feeding space and a closing means with which the passage can be closed, which closing means can occupy an open and a closed position.

16. Feeding device as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that in the closed situation of the passage there is a passage available out of the feeding space.

17. Feeding device as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the passage out of the feeding space comprises a hatch which only provides passage out of the feeding space.

18. Feeding device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the closing means comprise a cover, and the hatch is accessible after closing of the cover.

19. Feeding device as claimed in either of the claims 17-18, characterized in that the hatch has a diameter larger than about 8 mm, preferably greater than 10 mm, more preferably greater than 13 mm.

20. Feeding device as claimed in any of the claims 15-19, characterized in that the closing means comprise gripping points with which it can be gripped from a distance.

21. Feeding device as claimed in any of the claims 15-20, characterized in that the device further comprises means for holding the closing means in the open or closed position.

22. Nesting box, characterized in that it comprises a feeding device as claimed in any of the claims 15-21.

23. Nesting box as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that the feeding device is integrated with one or more components of the nesting box, preferably the brood box.