WO2019199179A1

WO2019199179A1 - A device for dispensing a substance

Info

Publication number: WO2019199179A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2019/050036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric James PINFOLD; Robert Mark GOODWIN
Original assignee: The New Zealand Institute For Plant And Food Research Limited
Priority date: 2018-04-11
Filing date: 2019-04-11
Publication date: 2019-10-17

Abstract

A device for attachment at, or near, an exit of a nest of an insect colony. The device has an entranceway into the device, an exit from the device, and a passageway in communication with the entranceway and exit. The device has a reservoir adapted to hold a substance above the passageway, and a vibrator adapted to vibrate the reservoir to cause the substance to fall into a region the passageway.

Description

A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING A SUBSTANCE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for dispensing a substance.

BACKGROUND

It is well known that honey bees, Apis mellifera, produce honey, bee's wax and other hive products. However, honey bee bees are also effective for pollination of crops. It is common for crop growers to hire hives of honey bees to pollinate their crops. Beehives may be provided with pollinators that deposit pollen on bees.

However, inefficient use of pollen can be very expensive, the resultant cost can be higher than the cost of hiring the hives. Inefficient use of pollen can be caused by bees carrying pollen back into the hive, for example. Traditional pollen dispensers are labour intensive as the may have to be refilled several times each day.

It is an object of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a device to enable the efficient use of pollen and/or to at least provide the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for attachment at, or near, an exit of a nest of an insect colony, the device comprising : an entranceway into the device, an exit from the device, and a passageway in communication with the entranceway and exit,

a reservoir adapted to hold a substance above the passageway,

a vibrator adapted to vibrate the reservoir to cause the substance to fall into a region the passageway.

In one embodiment, the reservoir has a plurality of apertures through which the substance falls into the region of the passageway.

In one embodiment, the apertures have a diameter of about 2 mm to about 4 mm.

In one embodiment, at least a part of the passageway includes a constriction within which the region is located.

In one embodiment, the constriction substantially provides a crawl-space or substantially prevents flying for insects passing through the region. In one embodiment, the constriction is less than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, 10 mm, 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm, 6 mm, 5mm, or is about 8 mm.

In one embodiment, at least a part of the entranceway includes one or more visual attributes attractive to the insects approaching the device from inside the nest, and/or includes one or more visual attributes less attractive to the insects approaching the device from outside the nest.

In one embodiment, the at least part of the entranceway is a lighter colour or appearance than other parts of the device, and/or surrounding items.

In one embodiment, the colour is a white and/or or yellow colour.

In one embodiment, the reservoir is adapted to receive a cartridge containing the substance.

In one embodiment, the cartridge is replaceable with another cartridge or is re- chargeable with the substance.

In one embodiment, the reservoir is adapted to receive the substance directly.

In one embodiment, one or more of: internal surfaces of flooring, external side walls, or ceiling, or combinations of these, have a textured surface.

In one embodiment, the vibrator is adapted to vibrate at a frequency of at least about 10Hz.

In one embodiment, the insect colony is/are a colony of bees.

In one embodiment, the man-made structure is a beehive structure.

In one embodiment, the substance is or comprises pollen.

The term 'comprising' as used in this specification and claims means 'consisting at least in part of'. When interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include the term 'comprising', other features besides the features prefaced by this term in each statement can also be present. Related terms such as 'comprise' and 'comprised' are to be interpreted in a similar manner.

It is intended that reference to a range of numbers disclosed herein (for example, 1 to 10) also incorporates reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and also any range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1.5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7) and, therefore, all sub-ranges of all ranges expressly disclosed herein are hereby expressly disclosed. These are only examples of what is specifically intended and all possible combinations of numerical values between the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in this application in a similar manner.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. Where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

As used herein the term '(s)' following a noun means the plural and/or singular form of that noun.

As used herein the term 'and/or' means 'and' or 'or', or where the context allows both.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment device attached to a beehive.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the device of figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the device of figure 1.

Figure 4 is a graph showing the number of staminate pollen grains carried by honey bees as they left their hive through a pollen dispenser.

Figure 5 is a graph showing the number of staminate pollen grains carried by honey bees as they returned to their hive when it had been fitted with a pollen dispenser. Figure 6 is a graph showing the number of staminate pollen grains deposited on the stigma of the pistillate flower they visited.

Figure 7 is a view from the rear of an alternative embodiment device with part of a beehive shown.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the device and part of the beehive through line A- A of figure 7.

Figure 9 shows details of B of figure 8.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the device and part of the beehive of figure 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the device will now be described with reference to figures 1 to 3. The device 1 is suitable for attachment at, or near, an exit of a beehive 100 of an insect colony.

The colony of insects is a colony of bees Bl, B2. Preferably the bees Bl, B2 are honey bees. Preferred bee species include Apis mellifera and Apis cerana.

The nest is a beehive 100 or a man-made structure within which the bees Bl, B2 have constructed, or are constructing, a beehive.

Beehives and other man-made structures for bees may vary somewhat across the industry. One form of a beehive 100 is illustrated in figure 1, being of the type comprising supers 101 within which are located (or locatable) a series of top bars supporting or supportable of frames, the super seated on a floorboard and topped by a lid or roof 103, an opening into the structure provided between an edge of the super 101 and the floorboard.

The preferred embodiment device 1 fits directly to the base board of the beehive 100. The dimensions of the device 1 can be designed or chosen depending on the dimension of the hive. For example, there are a variety of different base boards.

The device 1 can be manufactured in a variety of different widths to match the different widths of base boards.

The device 1 is capable of directing or allowing exit of the bees Bl from the beehive 100 to travel through the device 1 via a passageway 3. The device 1 is also capable of directing or allowing entry of the bees B2 back into the beehive 100 via a second passageway. The second passageway may be provided by the device, or may be provided by the beehive 100. The device 1 has an entranceway 17 into the device, an exit 19 from the device, with the passageway 3 in communication with the entranceway 17 and exit 19. Above the passageway is a reservoir 7 adapted to hold a substance, for example pollen P. Alternative substances to pollen may be one or more biological control substances.

The device 1 provides for a system of contact between the pollen P and bees B1 passing through the device 1 as they leave the beehive 100 via the passageway 3. It will be appreciated that the bees B1 passing through the passageway 3 that are contacted with the pollen P, then transport the pollen P to flowers to be pollinated.

The reservoir extends along the length of the device 1. The reservoir 7 is formed from two walls as an inverted triangle. The reservoir 7 has a plurality of apertures 11 through which the substance falls into the passageway 3. The apertures 11 have a diameter of about 1 mm to about 4 mm. The apertures may be about 1 mm, about 2 mm, about 3 mm, or about 4 mm. The aperture size is small enough so that bees cannot crawl through the aperture, but big enough to allow the substance to fall through without blocking the aperture. The apertures are preferably circular. The apertures 11 are spaced evenly along the length of the reservoir 7. In alternative embodiments the apertures 11 may have other shapes. The apertures 11 may be spaced unevenly, or not extend along the length of the reservoir 7. The apertures 11 are positioned at the lowest point of the reservoir 7. Alternatively, the apertures 11 may be positioned in other locations of the reservoir.

In one embodiment, the reservoir 7 may be adapted to receive a cartridge containing the pollen P or other substance. The cartridge may be replaceable with another cartridge or re-chargeable with the substance. An example of a cartridge is shown in figures 7 to 10.

In one example, the cartridge is a tray receivable or loadable with the pollen P or the substrate comprising pollen P. The cartridge can be loaded or seated into position within the reservoir. It will be appreciated the reservoir may comprise of locating walls or other arrangements for locating of the cartridge in position within the first passageway.

In the embodiment shown in figures 2 and 3, the reservoir 7 is adapted to receive the substance directly. The pollen P will fall down into the passageway 3 during use of the device. The device 1 also has a vibrator 9 adapted to vibrate the reservoir 7 to cause the pollen to fall into a region the passageway 3. The vibrator 9 is adapted to vibrate at a frequency of at least about 10Hz. The frequency at which the device vibrates will be chose depending on a number of factors including the material, its 'stickiness', the humidity.

At least a part of the passageway 3 includes a constriction. The constriction substantially provides a crawl-space or substantially prevents flying for insects passing through the region. In this manner, the constriction encourages bees to crawl through the region (or the constriction substantially prevents flying by the beehive's bees), the bees thereby coming in to contact with the pollen P when in- situ in the region. The constriction is shaped with a substantially horizontal initial passage that leads into an upwardly angle portion that the bees climb before leaving the device 1. The constriction extends the length of the device below the reservoir. Advantageously, the ceiling of the upwardly extending section is formed by the wall of the reservoir.

The height or constricted gap (i.e. internal gap within the passageway) between the flooring 18 and ceiling 20 about the region in the first passageway is, in various embodiments, less than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, 10 mm, 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm, 6 mm, or 5mm. Advantageously however the height is about a 9 mm gap, but may also be an 8 mm gap. It is considered such a distance encourages a majority of bees to be prevented (or discouraged) from flying through the region, and instead to crawl through the region. It is considered a "majority" means more than about 50% of the insect population passing through the region. A "majority" for these purposes means more than about 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%,

75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% of the bees passing through the region.

At least a part of the entranceway 17 includes one or more visual attributes attractive to the bees approaching the device from inside the beehive 100, and/or includes one or more visual attributes less attractive to the insects approaching the device from outside the beehive. The at least part of the entranceway 17 is a lighter colour or appearance than other parts of the device, and/or surrounding items. The colour is a white and/or or yellow colour. Alternatively, the device may comprise transparent portions that allow outside light to shine through the device, which is attractive to insects inside the device and less attractive to insects outside the device. Encouraging or discouraging of the bees into the preferred passageway of the device 1 may be influence by a variety of factors. At least a part of the entranceway mouth 17 may include one or more visual attributes attractive to the bees approaching the device 1 from inside of the beehive 100. For example, at least a part of the entranceway mouth 17 can be coloured, or can emit a colour, that is attractive to bees of the beehive when inside of the beehive 100 (the colour is indicative to the bees of the exit from their beehive). For this reason at least part of the entranceway mouth 17 is of a light colour or appearance, or lighter colour or appearance than the colour of the entrance back into the beehive 100.

In one particular example, the entranceway mouth 17 is coloured white or yellow.

In other examples, parts of the device are transparent to allow natural light from outside the beehive 100 to shine through the device.

Similarly, surfaces about the entranceway 17 can be provided with one or more other visual attributes attractive to the bees approaching the mouth from outside of the beehive 100. For example, at least a part of the entranceway mouth 17 can be coloured, or emits a colour, that is more attractive to bees outside of the beehive 100 or is indicative of a pathway to return to the interior of the beehive 100. It is understood for bees that a dark colour or appearance is indicative of a way into a beehive. Therefore, at least part of the entranceway mouth 17 can be of a darker colour or appearance than the colour of the exit to provide such an indication.

Colouring the exit way 19 black, for example, may produce the desired

encouragement for bees.

The device 1 may also be formed of suitable materials that allow the bees to observe the visual attributes. For example, the device 1 may be formed of suitable coloured materials or are coloured as such, or may be substantially transparent or light transmissive allowing the bees to observe the colours or light at or near at the exitway mouth 19.

In the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 3, the entire device is transparent. The natural light is visually attractive to the bees approaching the device 1 from inside of the beehive 100.

The device 1 can be formed of a number of different materials. However those that may be most preferable at those that are capable of enduring the environmental conditions surrounding the beehive and insect colony. In addition, where the insect colony is a food producing colony, the materials chosen may need to comply with suitable food grades. Without these specific limitations however, examples of certain materials include a device 1 comprising of various parts formed of one or more of a combination of wood, cellulose-fibre composites, cardboard, polymers such as for example, thermoplastics or thermosetting polymers.

If the substance is pollen, the pollen may be naturally occurring pollen, or may be dyed. Suitable types of pollen include pollen for kiwifruit, or almonds.

If the substance is a biological control (biocontrol) substance, it may be a powdered substance containing a virus, bacterium, or fungus that protects the host plant from a disease or pest, or at least inhibits the disease or pest. Examples of suitable microorganisms for the control of fungal or bacterial plant diseases are: Pantoea agglomerans PlOc (Blossom Bless®) for Fireblight control ( Erwinia amylovora),· Aureobasidium pullulans (AureoGold®) for Psa control (Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae),- or Ulocladium oudemansii (BOTRY-Zen®) for control of Botrytis. For biocontrol of insects, a suitable example is Metarhizium anisopliae (Met52®) for the control of thrips, whiteflies, and mites.

With reference to figures 7 to 10, an alternative embodiment of the device will now be described. Unless described below, the feature and functions of the alternative embodiment are the same as the embodiment described above. Like numbers are used to indicate like parts with the addition of 200.

In this embodiment, the device 201 is shown attached to part of a beehive - only the front wall of a super 101 and base 105 are shown. It will be appreciated that the remainder of the beehive may have a form similar to that shown in figure 1.

In this embodiment, the device has a cartridge 213. A housing 211 is adapted to receive the cartridge containing the pollen P or other substance. The cartridge 213 may be replaceable with another cartridge 213 or re-chargeable with the substance. The cartridge 213 can be loaded or seated into position within the housing 211. The housing 211 has locating walls configured to locate the cartridge 213 in position.

The cartridge 213 forms the reservoir 207. The cartridge has an inverted triangle similar to the reservoir of the first embodiment with a plurality of apertures. In this embodiment, there is also shown a bee counter 219. The bee counter 219 is configured to count the number of bees that enter and/or leave the hive. The bee counter 219 may also be configured to act as a sensor to detect when bees are leaving the hive. As the bees are leaving the hive, a signal from the sensor (bee counter 219) may be sent to a controller, which in turns sends a signal to the vibrator to operate. This advantageously ensures that the vibrator operates as bees are leaving the hive and doesn't unnecessarily operate when there are no bees leaving the hive through the passage.

Figure 7 shows a housing 215. The housing may house electronics, a power supply (such as a battery or a solar panel), and include a controller.

Experimental data

A trial was performed to test the ability of the pollen dispensers to place pollen grains on bees leaving hives and the number of pollen grains deposited on flowers.

Methods

Eight honey bee colonies housed in two box Langstroth hives were introduced to a lh all pistillate vine Hayward orchard. The orchard had another orchard with staminate and pistillate vines within 100m The colonies were fitted with pollen dispensers that each liberated 4g of staminate pollen over 4 hours.

Because of the construction of the dispensers, the dispensers varied in how quickly they dispensed pollen. Bee samples were only taken from the five hives on which the dispensers appeared to be working in the correct manner.

Bees entering and leaving hives

Twenty nine bees were collected from the 5 of the 8 hives and placed in individual plastic bags as they exited the pollen dispensers. The plastic bags with the bees were placed in a polystyrene box with ice to immobilise them. The pollen dispensers on these hives were then removed at about l lOOh and the hives entrances blocked with grass. Twenty nine bees that collected on the outside of the boxes and were carrying kiwifruit (white) pollen pellets were captured in separate plastic bags and chilled.

Pollen deposited from pollen dispensers

Pollen proof paper bags were placed over pistillate flower buds on the day before they opened. The bags were removed one at a time when the flowers were open. Each flower was then observed until a bee visited. A record was kept of the date, time of day of the visit and the length of the visit it. The bee was then captured in a plastic bag when it moved onto the next flower. The bag was held upside down so the bee flew into a corner where it was confined using a twist tie. It was then placed in a box with ice. The flower it visited was then picked and the stigma cut off and placed in a vile with 0.5ml of Alexander stain within 10 min of the bee visit.

The stain differentially stained staminate and pistillate pollen grains. This was completed for 39 flowers.

The bees were each placed in a vile with 0.5ml of Alexander stain and shaken to dislodge and pollen they were carrying. The amount of staminate and pistillate pollen was determined using a heamycometer. The pollen was shaken off the stigma and the number of staminate pollen in the solution calculated by counting the number of staminate pollen grains in 50ul of stain placed on a lined microscope slide.

Results

All of the honey bees leaving the pollen dispensers were carrying staminate pollen (mean = 656, S.E. = 169). The pollen carried by individual bees ranged between 22 and 3,822 pollen grains (Figure 4). Honey bees caught as the entered hives with pollen dispensers carried an average of 274 staminate pollen grains (S.E. 4.56. The pollen grains carried ranged between 0 and 889 pollen grains (Figure 5). They were carrying a further average of 272 staminate pollen grains in their pollen pellets.

Seven of the 39 bees caught after visiting a previously bagged flower were not carrying staminate pollen grains and did not deposit pollen grains on the stigma of the flower they had visited. The honey bees carrying staminate pollen deposited an average of 122.9 pollen grains on the stigma of the pistillate flower they visited (S.E. = 39.9, Range = 0 - 1,130) (Figure 3). Those bees carry staminate pollen were carrying an average of 438 staminate pollen grains (S.E. = 113 range = 22- 3559).

The seven bees that visited flowers and were not carrying pollen had likely come from either the three hives that had dispensers that were not working correctly or from other hives in the vicinity. These were excluded from the analysis of the pollen deposition rates. Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described by way of example only and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device for attachment at, or near, an exit of a nest of an insect colony, the device comprising:

an entranceway into the device, an exit from the device, and a passageway in communication with the entranceway and exit,

a reservoir adapted to hold a substance above the passageway,

2. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir has a plurality of apertures through which the substance falls into the region of the passageway.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apertures have a diameter of about 1 mm to about 4 mm.

4. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a part of the passageway includes a constriction within which the region is located.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the constriction substantially provides a crawl-space or substantially prevents flying for insects passing through the region.

6. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the constriction is less than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, 10 mm, 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm, 6 mm, 5 mm, or is about 8 mm.

7. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a part of the entranceway includes one or more visual attributes attractive to the insects approaching the device from inside the nest, and/or includes one or more visual attributes less attractive to the insects approaching the device from outside the nest.

8. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least part of the

entranceway is a lighter colour or appearance than other parts of the device, and/or surrounding items.

9. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the colour is a white and/or or yellow colour.

10. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir is adapted to receive a cartridge containing the substance.

11. The device as claimed in claim 80, wherein the cartridge is replaceable with another cartridge or is re-chargeable with the substance.

12. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir is adapted to receive the substance directly.

13. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of: internal surfaces of flooring, external side walls, or ceiling, or

combinations of these, have a textured surface.

14. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vibrator is adapted to vibrate at a frequency of at least about 10Hz.

15. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insect colony is/are a colony of bees.

16. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the man- made structure is a beehive structure.

17. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substance is or comprises pollen.

18. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the substance is or comprises one or more biological control substances.