WO2016087883A1

WO2016087883A1 - Multihive

Info

Publication number: WO2016087883A1
Application number: PCT/GR2015/000062
Authority: WO
Inventors: Georgios DAFNIS
Original assignee: Dafnis Georgios
Priority date: 2014-12-05
Filing date: 2015-12-03
Publication date: 2016-06-09
Also published as: GR1008632B

Abstract

The "MULTIHIVE" is a variant of the modern hive, is square, fits twelve frames and consists of the bottom board (1), the super (2 or 3) and the cover (4). The super can be rotated by 360° and divided, so that into each section to fit six frames or four and eight or five and seven frames. The division is accomplished by placing an appropriate separation under the objective of the simultaneous maintenance and development of two or more honeybee colonies. Its advantage is that the simultaneous development of more honeybee colonies into the same hive allows the placement of more honeybee colonies to a lesser extent, resulting in having more worker bees. Consequently, the collection of honey (foragers) becomes more efficient when time and weather conditions are not favourable; the queens breeding and royal jelly production (nurses) becomes more efficient as well during short flowering periods, as is for example the heather flowering period (autumn). There are also more cycles of queens breeding and royal jelly production.

Description

MULTIHIVE

The invention relates to a variant of the modern hive which is square, has twelve removable Hoffman type frames, and each super is divided into two parts, equal or not, for the simultaneous development of two honeybee colonies.

Today, the hives used fit eight or ten frames and for their placing a greater space is required, as only one honeybee colony is developed in every super. Hence, in short flowering periods or when weather conditions are not favourable, many hives and a larger area are required for the breeding of large numbers of foragers.

The "MULTIHIVE" is a hive which consists of the bottom board (1), the super which can be either deep (2) or shallow (3), and the cover (4), and is characterized by the fact that each super fits twelve removable frames and is divided into two parts, equal or not.

The main advantage of the "MULTIHIVE" is the possibility of placing a larger number of beehives to a smaller area (earth surface). Its supers are divided in such a way as to allow the appropriate development of two honeybee colonies in each of those. This is important both for the effective collection of honey, when time and weather conditions are not favourable, and for a more effective crop pollination. The presence of more than one queens and the development of more honeybee colonies in one hive, results in the acquisition of a greater number of foragers, which can be utilized for the production of royal jelly in short flowering periods, such as the heather flowering period in autumn.

With the vertical development of the honeybee colony, the storage of honey takes place on the top super resulting in an easier harvest. In addition, when queen breeding is taking place or royal jelly is produced, the simultaneous presence of the honeybee colony having a queen and of the honeybee colony without a queen at a hive with separator, facilitates the process of placing frames of sealed brood taken from the neighbour honeybee colony to the "orphan" honeybee colony. In this way, more cycles of queens breeding or royal jelly production can be achieved.

Its construction makes it easier to use and more practical as each super can be easily rotated towards any direction. Moreover, with the exception of the supers, its dimensions are such that the beekeeping equipment, which a beekeeper already possesses, for example removable frames and feeders, can be used to enable the exchange between old and new hives.

In the 1 1 drawings attached the "MULTIHIVE" and the various parts composing it are depicted in detail.

Drawing 1 shows the facade of the "MULTIHIVE" (top view 1).

Drawing 2 shows the facade of the bottom board (1 ), of the deep super (2), of the shallow super (3) and of the cover (4), separately (top view 1).

Drawing 3 shows the rear view of the "MULTIHIVE" (top view 2).

Drawing 4 shows the rear view of the bottom board (1), of the deep super (2), of the shallow super (3) and of the cover (4), separately (top view 2).

Drawing 5 shows the lateral view of the "MULTIHI VE" (top view 3).

Drawing 6 shows the front cutaway of the "MULTIHIVE" in the case that the separator is in the middle of this and each part fits six frames (cutaway A-A).

Drawing 7 shows the front cutaway of the deep super (2), of the shallow super (3) and of the cover (4), separately, in the case that the separator is in the middle of the hive, and each part fits 6 frames (cutaway A-A).

Drawing 8 shows the lateral cutaway of the "MULTIHIVE" in the case it contains frames (cutaway B-B).

Drawing 9 shows the lateral cutaway of the deep floor (2), of the shallow floor (3) and of the cover (4), separately, in the case the hive contains frames (cutaway B-

B).

Drawing 10 shows the ground plan of an empty "MULTIHIVE" in the case the separator is in the middle of it and each part fits 6 frames (deep-floor plan).

Drawing 1 1 shows the ground plan of the "MULTIHIVE" with the frames in the case that the separator is in the middle of it and each part fits 6 frames (deep-floor plan).

The "MULTIHIVE" is a wooden hive of twelve Hoffman type frames and in each super two honeybee colonies can be maintained and developed. The main feature of this hive is that each super can be divided as follows:

i. either in two equal parts, which shall contain six frames,

ii. or in two parts, and one of the parts shall fit four frames while the other shall fit eight frames, iii . or in two parts, and one of the parts shall fit five frames while the other shall fit seven frames.

(Note: In each case, the bottom board (1), the supers (2, 3) and the cover (4) are used with the separator in the corresponding place.)

In case (i) the "MULTIHIVE" can be used as a double hive within which two honeybee colonies are being developed, while in cases (ii) and (iii) the hive is suitable for queen breeding and for the production of royal jelly. In cases (ii) and (iii) the queen is in the part with the fewest frames while the honeybee colony placed next to it is the "orphan" one. In so doing, the process of filing frames with sealed brood to increase the number of its nurses in the queenless honeybee colony is facilitated, as well as a larger number of cycles queens breeding or royal jelly production is effectuated.

The individual parts of the "MULTIHIVE" are:

1. the bottom board (1 ),

2. the super which can be either deep (2) or shallow (3), and

3. the cover (4).

The following is a complete description of the items presented in the attached 11 drawings.

The bottom board of the "MULTIHIVE" (1) is removable and is connected to the super (2 or 3) with metal clips (9). Its exterior dimensions are 550 x 506 mm, it is made of plywood of 18 mm in thickness, and is based on two wooden legs (slats) measuring 530 x 45 x 40 mm which are placed at the left and right side.

At the top part of the bottom board (1), at the left and right, there are two wooden slats measuring 506 x 20 x 20 mm, while at its back part, and vertically to these two slats, there is a wooden slat measuring 466 x 20 x 20 mm . Vertically to the rear slat and parallelly to the frames there is another wooden slat measuring 466 x 20 x 20 mm which divides the bottom board (1 ), according to the use of the hive. At its front part there is a wooden slat measuring 216 x 20 x 20 mm which is located 125 mm away from the left slat and 125 mm away from the right one. In these two gaps of 125 mm the two entrance - exit holes (5) of the hive are formed and there is where the two wooden doors, measuring 125 x 20 x 20 mm, are placed. The support of each door is effectuated by means of a metal plate measuring 75 x 30 x 0.4 mm, while for the closing of the door we use a perforated metal plate (6) measuring 170 x 28 x 1 mm, which is adjusted with a screw on the slat. In each entrance we can place externally an entrance feeder (atmospheric pressure feeder).

• Since the bottom board (1) is used in the double hive, the middle slat (466 x 20 x 20 mm), which divides it, is placed exactly in the middle of it, that is at a distance of 223 mm internally from the slats to the left and right. In this way, the super that shall be fitted onto the bottom board (1) shall be consisting of two rooms that each shall fit six frames.

• Since the bottom board (1) is used for the production of royal jelly, the middle slat (466 x 20 x 20 mm), which divides it, is placed at a distance of 150 mm internally from the left slat and 296 mm internally from the right slat. In this way, the super to be placed thereon shall consist of two parts of four and eight frames respectively. Similarly, if used with five and seven frames, the middle slat (466 x 20 x 20 mm) dividing it shall be placed at a distance of 185 mm internally from the left slat and 261 mm internally from the right slat, and the super to be placed thereon shall consist two parts of five and seven frames respectively.

Finally, to be connected with the super, the bottom board (1) has a metal clip (9) at the front and rear side which is placed at a distance of 223 mm internally from the slats on the left and right side. The clip on the front side is "I shaped (height: 60 mm and width: 20 mm) and is secured to the wood with two nuts and two wing nuts. The clip on the rear side has a trapezoid shape that lacks the underside (height: 60 mm and width: 20 mm) and is secured to the wood with two screws.

The super is the wooden box with a rectangular parallelepiped shape into which the honeybee colony grows and which can be either deep (2) or shallow (3).

The deep super (2) measures externally 506 x 506 x 240 mm while the sides which are located at the right and left measure 506 x 240 x 20 mm. The front and back sides measure 486 x 240 x 20 mm. Finally, there is one more surface measuring 486 x 240 x 20 mm which divides it and can be placed in three ways as follows:

1. at a distance of 223 mm internally from the slats on the left and right, so two rooms are created each fitting six frames;

2. at a distance of 150 mm internally from the left slat and at a distance of 296 mm internally from the right slat, so two rooms are created, one fitting four frames while the other one is fitting eight frames; 3. at a distance of 185 mm intemally from the left slat and at a distance of 261 mm internally from the right slat, so two rooms are created, one fitting five frames while the other one is fitting seven frames.

It is possible that all four sides of the super measure externally 506 x 506 x 240 mm and be perfectly linked together. The front and back side having an horizontal flange of 20 mm so that the frames may be supported and there is a vertical flange in the middle that can be of 20 mm or 18 mm or 16 mm in thickness.

Each super is divided into two spaces. In the case of a double hive, each space fits six removable Hoffman type frames. In the other two cases, one of the spaces fits four or five frames while the other one fits eight or seven frames respectively.

Each super has three entrance - exit holes (5) for the bees. Two of those are located at the front side (left and right) and the third is at the back side (left or right). Each entrance - exit hole (5) measures 95 x 10 mm and is at a height of 50 mm from the bottom board (1) and at a distance of 40 mm from the side, left and right respectively. The same applies for the entrance - exit hole (5) placed at the back surface of the super, in accordance with the direction of the frames.

The opening of the entrance - exit holes (5) can be limited through the use of perforated metal boxes (7) measuring 140 x 70 x 1 mm which are fixed in such a way that when they are open (8) they may serve as flight boards as well. To facilitate the opening (8) and the closure (7), they are fixed onto the super with metal hinges measuring 1 x 1 mm. During winter, to achieve the sealing of the entrances, we can place metal plates, measuring 120 x 30 x 0.4 mm and fixed on the hinges, between the super and the perforated metal door. During summer, or in a potential transfer, we only use the perforated metal boxes (7), without the metal plates, to limit the opening of the entrance in order to achieve the sufficient ventilation .

The supers are joined by means of latches (10) placed on the front and back sides, at a distance of 223 mm internally from the slats placed on the left and right side in the direction of the frames. Furthermore, their joining can also be done with hooks that are placed on the four sides of the super with the advantage that they give the beekeeper the ability to rotate the super by 360°, that is to the North, South, West and East, according to his needs.

Finally, on the top of all four sides are metal angle plates measuring 10 x 20 mm to support the frames to the super. The shallow super (3) measures externally 506 x 506 x 145 ram. Except for its height which is 145 mm, all the other features are similar to those mentioned above and concern the deep super (2). The main use of the shallow super (3) is during the harvest and more specifically for the faster storage of the honey.

The cover (4) is the wooden cover of the hive which also has an internal partition according to the use of the hive. It measures externally 506 x 506 x 75 mm and is placed on the top of the super. Externally, it is covered with a galvanized steel sheet (12) measuring 506 x 506 x 0.2 mm. The steel sheet edges are bent downwardly, for a further 25 mm, so as to achieve the better sealing of the hive.

The cover (4) has four openings measuring 115 x 50 mm, ventilation windows

(11), two of which are placed at the front side and two at the back side, being covered with a metal sieve in order to achieve the optimal ventilation of the hive. Each opening is 25 mm away from the base of the cover (4), 35 mm away from its top part, and 50 mm away from the corresponding lateral vertical side.

The interior separator of the cover (4) measures 466 x 65 mm with the possibility of the horizontal rotation of the cover by 90° so as to join the two honeybee colonies kept on the super which is covered by the cover (4). Since the cover (4) covers the super consisting of two rooms of six frames, the position of the interior separator is at a distance of 223 mm internally from the slats on the left and right. Since the cover (4) covers the super consisting of two rooms of four and eight frames, its position is at a distance of 150 mm internally from the left slat and 296 mm internally from the right slat. While in the case that the cover (4) covers the super consisting of two rooms of five and seven frames, its position is at a distance of 185 mm internally from the left slat and 261 mm internally from the right slat. In the case of queen breeding and also in the production of royal jelly, when the case of 4 and 8 frames, or of 5 to 7 frames is used, by rotating the cover (4) we can easily join the honeybee colony having the queen with the queenless neighbour honeybee colony.

As additional components of the "MULTIHIVE" we may use the follows:

• Optional blocking cover (13): this is a plywood measuring 506 x 506 x 8 mm placed horizontally between the supers separating the brood chamber from the honey super.

• Queen excluder: this is a square metal or plastic sheet measuring 506 x 506 x 8 mm which is placed horizontally between the supers. It is made in such a way so as to prevent the passage of the queen from one super to another but the worker bees pass through the supers without problem. In addition, we can use two excluders measuring 223 x 466 mm, which are placed onto the frames.

• Entrance feeder: this is an atmospheric pressure feeder placed at the entrance of the hive and is adjusted exactly at the opening (external application) of it. It may be affixed as well onto the frames of the baby-chamber and then place an empty shallow super (3) which shall support the cap of the cover (internal application).

• Pollen catcher: this is the device applied at the entrance of the hive to collect pollen from the legs of the pollen gathering worker bees (foragers).

· Metal or plastic screw at the cover of the hive to allow the supply to the internal hive-top feeder without its opening.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. The "MULTTHIVE" is a square beehive comprising the bottom board (1), one, two, three or four supers (2 or 3) and the cover (4), which are placed one above the other in the order mentioned above. The "MULTIHIVE" is characterized by the fact that each super contains twelve removable frames and is divided into two parts which either are or not equal to each other. Also, the "MULTIHIVE" is characterized by the fact that the second, third and fourth supers rotate, separately, horizontally by 90°, 180° or 270° relatively to the first super. In this way, the front side of each super has a different direction from the other supers, i.e. it is directed towards the North, the South, the West or the East, so the honeybees can enter the hive from the appropriate entrance and not be misled.

2. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that each super holds twelve removable frames, similar to those used in a simple beehive.

3. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1 , is characterized by the fact that it comprises up to four supers, which are placed vertically.

4. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that through the use of a suitable spacer to the bottom board (1), the supers (2, 3), the cover (4) as well as through the use or not of the optional excluder (13), is of multiple use since the horizontal or vertical development of more than one honeybee colonies (up to eight), even simultaneously, can be achieved.

5. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1 , is characterized by the fact that by rotating the cover (4), which has an internal partition, by 90°, the underlying honeybee colonies are united or separated.

6. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that as the supers are square, and the second, third and fourth super rotate horizontally by 90°, 180° or 270° relatively to the first super and are placed in such a way so that their front side is pointing to the North, South, West or East, the honeybees enter the hive from the appropriate entrance, do not get confused and consequently are not misled.

7. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claims 1 and 4, is characterized by the fact that it facilitates the development of two honeybee colonies in each super, as its supers are divided into two equal spaces, each of which can fit six removable frames. Therefore, in the case of the "MULTIHIVE" with the four supers, the simultaneous development of up to eight honeybee colonies, which are separated both vertically and horizontally when using the optional excluder (13), is effectuated.

8. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that it is used for the vertical development of two honeybee colonies, because its supers are divided into two equal spaces, each of which can fit six movable frames. This can be effectuated even at a total of four supers, the honeybees of which enter from the entrance - exit holes (5) located in the first super. The honeybee colonies are separated only vertically and not horizontally, since the optional excluder (13) is not placed between the supers.

9. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claim 1 , is characterized by the fact that through the use of the supers which are divided into two equal spaces, each of which fits six removable frames, facilitates the breeding of queens and the production of royal jelly.

10. The "MULTIHIVE", according to claims 1 and 2, is characterized by the fact that through the use of the supers which are divided into two unequal spaces, each of which fits four or five and eight or seven removable frames respectively, the royal jelly production process is facilitated. The honeybee colony with the fewest frames is the "orphan" one (without a queen), while the honeybee colony having the most frames and the queen is used to produce frames with sealed brood, which then replace frames of the "orphan" honeybee colony so as to achieve its enrichment with nurses for the care of the brood.