WO2011094201A1

WO2011094201A1 - Honey bee packaging system

Info

Publication number: WO2011094201A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/022382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carl Alan Bukley
Original assignee: Carl Alan Bukley
Priority date: 2010-01-26
Filing date: 2011-01-25
Publication date: 2011-08-04

Abstract

A honey bee packaging system comprising a method for rapidly collecting bees from a bee hive while excluding the queen bee and devices for use in the method. A heavier-than-air repellent is blown into the hive through the bottom entrance, and urges the bees upward through the hive, as they are drawn toward light and fresh air, through a size excluder that prevents the queen bee from passing through, and out through a specialized collection lid directly into a collection container. The collection lid has a plurality of screened slits that increase in size from an outer edge toward a central opening that leads into a collection tube. The screened slit design encourages the bees to move toward the central opening and into the container.

Description

HONEY BEE PACKAGING SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is directed to a honey bee packaging system that allows honey bees to be rapidly collected from a bee hive and packaged for transport or other uses.

BACKGROUND ART

A domesticated honey bee colony or hive is normally housed in a rectangular box, within which eight to ten parallel frames house the vertical plates of honeycomb which contain the eggs, larvae, pupae and food for the colony. If a vertical cross-section was cut through the hive from side to side, the brood nest would appear as a roughly ovoid ball spanning 5-8 frames of comb. The two outside combs at each side of the hive tend to be exclusively used for long-term storage of honey and pollen. Within the central brood nest, a single frame of comb will typically have a central disk of eggs, larvae and sealed brood cells which may extend almost to the edges of the frame. Immediately above the brood patch an arch of pollen-filled cells extends from side to side, and above that again a broader arch of honey-filled cells extends to the frame tops. The pollen is protein-rich food for developing larvae, while honey is also food but largely energy rich rather than protein rich. Apart from the honey stored within the central brood frames, the bees store surplus honey in combs above the brood nest. In modern hives the beekeeper places separate boxes called "supers" above the brood box, in which a series of shallower combs is provided for storage of honey. This enables the beekeeper to remove some of the supers in the late summer, and to extract the surplus honey harvest, without damaging the colony of bees and its brood nest below.

It is desirable to harvest honey bees from a hive for packaging and sale. The packaged bees can be transported to other locations to start new bee hives for honey production, or to facilitate pollination in crop production. It is difficult to quickly and safely collect honey bees from the bee hives and place the bees in packages, while excluding the queen bee from the collection process. Collecting bees from the hives is a difficult, laborious process requiring shaking, manipulating, and agitating the hives which can harm the bees and the hives. The collection process further requires the use of uncomfortable protective clothing to avoid bee stings. It is known to pump smoke under the bottom of a hive to fill the hive with smoke and to drive the bees out of the hive. However, smoke stuns or stupefies bees, or can irritate the bees and cause them to attack.

What is needed is a honey bee packaging system that allows honey bees to be rapidly collected from a bee hive that is simple, inexpensive, substantially safe for the bees, and which may reduce or eliminate the need for protective clothing or smoke.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a honey bee packaging system that includes a method for rapidly collecting honey bees from a bee hive while excluding the queen bee and novel devices for use in the method. The collected honey bees can then be used as needed, for example, to repopulate a new hive. According to the honey bee packaging system, an airborne repellent is blown into a bee hive via an electronic blower device that introduces the repellent through the bottom entrance of the bee hive. The repellent is preferably heavier than air and urges the bees upward through the bee hive, through a size excluder that prevents the queen bee from passing through due to her larger size, and out through a specialized collection lid directly into a collection container which is suitable for transporting the bees. The collection lid has a plurality of screened slits that increase in size from outer edges toward a central opening that leads to a collection tube. The collection container can be attached directly to the collection tube. Since the bees are attempting to escape the hive, they are drawn towards a lighted opening and fresh air. The screened slit design encourages the bees to move toward the central opening and into the container. Without the slits, the bees would tend to accumulate within the lid without finding their way to the central opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the novel components of the present invention and components of a prior art bee hive.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the assembled components shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the collection lid of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the collection lid of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the collection lid of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the collection lid of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is another bottom perspective view of the collection lid of the present invention with the adjustable sides moved farther apart.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the collection lid of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the collection lid of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded rear perspective view of the repellant applicator.

FIG. 1 1 is a front perspective view of the repellant applicator.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the repellant applicator positioned within the bottom opening of the bee hive.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/298,402 filed January 26, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The invention, shown in FIGS. 1-12, is a honey bee packaging system 10 that includes a method for rapidly collecting honey bees from a bee hive while excluding the queen bee and devices for use in the method.

Bees and honey are produced in the brood box 11 which has a bottom end 36 resting on a bottom board 12 and a top end 37 which supports a superjacent box or "super" 13. The combination of a brood box 11 and one or more supers 13 is referred to as a hive. The brood box 11 and super box 13 each include a plurality of vertical frames 40. According to the method of the present invention, a repellent applicator 14 is positioned at the bottom of the brood box 11. The repellent applicator 14 comprises a pivotable air inflow tower 52, an air entrance port 15, a tapered air exit port 16, a first screen 17 covering the entrance port 15, and a second screen 18 covering the exit port 16. A repellent pad 19 is positioned within the interior of the repellent applicator 14. The repellent applicator 14 has a fan 20 mounted inside the air inflow tower 52, which is preferably operably connected to a battery powered source 53. An optional heating element 21 can be mounted within the tower 52 below the fan 20, which also would preferably be connected to the battery powered source 53. The heating element 21 is useful in cooler climates to heat cold air as it travels through the applicator 14. The fan 20 draws air into the entrance port 15 and then propels the air onto the repellent pad 19 and out through the exit port 16. The exit port 16 is insertable into the bottom opening 60 of the brood box 11, preferably between the bottom board 12 and the bottom 36 of the brood box 11.

Prior to using the applicator 14, the air inflow tower 52 is pivoted open to expose the repellent pad 19 (see FIGS. 2 and 12) and a liquid bee repellent is poured onto the repellent pad 19. The tower 52 is then pivoted close and the fan 20 is turned on to pull air into the air inflow tower 52. As the air flows down onto the repellent pad 19 it drives repellent vapors out through the exit port 16, into the opening 60 of the brood box 11, up through the hive, and out through the top 33 of the hive. The repellant is preferably heavier than air so that it tends to accumulate in the lower portions of the bee hive and thereby drives the bees upward. The repellent applicator screens 17, 18 prevent bees from entering the interior of the repellent applicator 14. Any type of commercial bee repellent may be used including, but not limited to, Fischer's Bee-Quick™ (a blend of natural oils and herbal extracts (see www.bee- quick.com)), butyric anhydride, and benzaldehyde.

According to the method, the lid of the bee hive is removed and placed aside. A size excluder screen 22 is placed on the top 33 of the hive. Excluder screens are well known in the art, and have a plurality of openings which allow all the bees to pass through the excluder 22 except for the queen bee. The excluder screen 22, therefore, allows all the honey bees to exit the top 33 of the hive except for the queen bee. A collection lid 23 is then placed on top of the excluder 22. The collection lid 23 is formed of a substantially horizontal member 24. The shape of the excluder 22 and the collection lid 23 conform to the shape of the top 33 of the hive which is, preferably, rectangular. The horizontal member 24 is defined by its outer edges or perimeter 35. The horizontal member 24 has opposing side walls 25 and opposing front and back walls 26 that extend downwardly from the horizontal member 24. These walls 25, 26 extend over the excluder 22 and over the top 33 of the hive.

The length and/or width of the collection lid 23 are preferably adjustable to ensure complete enclosure of the collection lid 23 over the excluder 22 and over the top 33 of the hive. Most commercial bee hive structures are size 8 frame or size 10 frame. The front to back dimensions are typically the same for both sizes, but the size 8 frame is narrower than the size 10 frame in the side to side direction. Thus, the collection lid 23 and its sides 25, 26 can be made adjustable only in the side to side dimension if desired. In a preferred embodiment, the collection lid 23 comprises fixed front and back walls 26 and adjustable side walls 25. Each front and back wall 26 includes opposing horizontal slots 42 formed therein. Each adjustable side wall 25 includes a pair of opposing flanges 41 that extend through the slots 42. The flanges 41 on the same side of the collection lid 23 are preferably connected by a spring 43 which biases the side walls 25 toward each other. Thus, the side walls 25 can be pulled away from each other to place the collection lid 23 onto the top 33 of the bee hive, after which, the side walls 25 can be released to slide toward each other and thereby secure the collection lid 23 to the top 33 of the bee hive. A slot guard 44 preferably extends from each flange 41 to block the slots 42 when the collection lid 23 is secured to the top 33 of the bee hive to prevent bees from escaping through the slots 42.

A bee space 27 is formed between the excluder 22 and the collection lid 23, wherein the space 27 is preferably about the thickness of a bee (e.g. about 1/4 to 3/8 inch or about 6 to 9 millimeters) to allow the bees to crawl on the excluder 22 or the screened underside of the horizontal member 24 but not fly within the space 27. This small space 27 prevents crowding and bunching of the bees and promotes their orderly movement towards a center opening 30 of the collection lid. The center of the collection lid 23 has an exit or collection tube 28 which extends upwardly from the collection lid 23 and the hive. A screened honey bee transport package or collection container 29 is placed over the collection tube 28 so that the collection tube 28 extends into the collection container 29. The collection container 29 is constructed of an open frame enclosed by screens which retain the bees within the collection container 29 but freely allows the passage of light and air.

The collection lid 23 comprises a solid horizontal member 24 having a plurality of slits 32 that extend from the perimeter 35 towards a center opening 30. The slits 32 are very narrow adjacent the perimeter 35 and increase in width as they extend towards the center opening 30. Accordingly, the preferred shape of the slits 32 is triangular. There may be 4 to 10 slits 32, preferably 8 slits. Open slits 32 are covered with screen material 31 to allow the free passage of light and air but to prevent the bees from escaping the space 27 through the slits 32. The collection lid 23 includes a plurality of support members 38 that secure the collection tube 28, wherein each support member includes a shelf area 39 to support the collection container 29. Preferably, the top of the collection tube 28 substantially aligns with the inside surface of the collection container 29 (see FIG. 2), which promotes dispersal of the bees as they enter the collection container 29 and thereby avoids a bottleneck effect. The collection tube 28 is preferably made from a transparent plastic that includes a screen secured to its inside surface to provide a gripping surface to facilitate movement of the bees. Alternatively, the inside surface can be roughened or otherwise textured to provide the gripping surface. As the bees pass through the excluder 22, regardless of where they entered the space 27, they instinctively search for fresh air and light. Consequently, the increasing widening of the open slits 32 guides the bees accurately and quickly to the central opening 30, into the collection tube 28, and into the collection container 29.

The repellent applicator 14 has an air inflow tower 52 that extends upwards from a horizontal hollow diffuser base 56. The angle between the air inflow tower 52 and the base

56 is preferably between 90 to 130 degrees. The base 56 has a rear end 50 and a front end 51. The rear end 50 is narrow relative to the front end 51. The right side 54 and the left side 55 of the base 56 extend outwards from the rear end 50 as they extend towards the front end 51. As the sides 54, 55 approach near to the front end 51 they extend straight forward. The front end 51 can be inserted into the bottom opening 60 of the brood box 11. The base 56 has a bottom

57 and a top 58. The distance between the top 58 and the bottom 57 is preferably 3/4 inch except near the front end 51 where the distance preferably tapers to 3/8 inch at the exit port

16. The tapered front end 51 facilitates insertion of the front end 51 into the bottom opening 60 of the brood box 11, or under the brood box 11, and helps form an adequate seal between the front end 51 and the brood box 11 so that bees will not escape through the opening 60. The tapered front end 51 also accommodates different size openings on different brood boxes. As discussed above, the fan 20 draws air into the air inflow tower 52 and blows the air down onto the repellent pad 19 which contains a volatile bee repellent. The use of the fan 20 is required because the preferred bee repellent vapors are heavier than air. This downward flow of air onto the repellent pad 19 causes a greater dispersion of repellent vapor than if the air was directed across pad 19. The widening of the base 56 from the rear end 50 to the front end 51 causes the diffusion of the repellent vapor across the width of the opening 60 of the brood box 11, producing a uniform distribution of the repellent vapor through the hive. This uniform distribution of repellent vapor affects all bees in the hive which facilitates gathering all of the bees, except for the queen bee, into the collection package 29. This effectiveness of the bee repellent when used in this manner was unexpected because bee repellent has always been used to force bees downwards in honey supers. When used in combination with a fan 20, the repellent can be used very effectively to drive bees safely upwards.

Using the method and devices of the current invention, a single person can collect up to 3-4 pounds of bees in a collection package 29 within 5-7 minutes. Thus, a single person can fill 8-12 packages per hour, each with 3-4 pounds of bees. Optionally, the collection lid 23 can be fitted with a weighing device to monitor the weight of the package 29 as it fills with bees.

Standard methods of collecting bees require techniques such as shaking, bouncing, hammering, agitating, and manipulating the hive to drive the bees into some kind of collection device. These techniques cause swarming and attacking by the bees, and also damage to the hives and bees. Protective suits are required when using these techniques. The present invention significantly reduces all of these problems. Once the fan 20 is turned on, the collection of bees into the collection container 29 is automatic. As a result, there are minimal hazards to the bees or hives. Protective suits are not as necessary since swarming or attacking by the bees is minimized. No special skill is required to assemble and operate the system 10 of the present invention. It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for collecting bees from a bee hive, wherein the bee hive comprises a brood box, a super box secured on top of the brood box, and a bee hive lid secured on top of the super box, the method comprising the steps of:

a) removing the bee hive lid;

b) placing an excluder on top of the super box, wherein the excluder comprises a plurality of openings therethrough that are sized to allow bees to pass through the openings while preventing a queen bee from passing through the openings;

c) securing a collection lid on top of the excluder and super box, wherein the collection lid comprises a horizontal member having a central opening and a plurality of screened slits that increase in size from an outer perimeter of the horizontal member toward the central opening, and a collection tube extending vertically upward from the central opening, wherein the screened slits allow light and fresh air therethrough to guide the bees toward the central opening;

d) attaching a collection package onto the collection tube; and

e) blowing a repellant into a bottom opening of the brood box, wherein the repellant urges the bees to move upward through the bee hive, through the excluder, and through the collection tube into the collection package.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the collection lid further comprises opposing vertical front and rear walls and opposing vertical side walls, wherein the opposing side walls of the collection lid are adjustable to accommodate different sizes of super boxes.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a space is formed between the excluder and the collection lid of 6 to 9 millimeters to prevent crowding of the bees and promote orderly movement of the bees towards the central opening of the collection lid.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the repellent is heavier than air and is forcibly blown into the bottom opening of the brood box with a repellant applicator.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the repellent applicator comprises a diffuser housing having a pivotable air inflow housing extending upward therefrom, a fan mounted within the air inflow housing, and a repellent source located within the diffuser housing below the air inflow housing, wherein the fan is operable to pull air into the air inflow housing, propel the air onto the repellent source to disperse repellent vapors into the air, and propel the air mixed with repellent vapors out of the diffuser housing and into the bottom opening of the brood box.