WO2025128033A1 - A hive structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hive structure. The invention in particular relates to a hive structure that reduces losses during the winter months for use in beekeeping.

Description

A HIVE STRUCTURE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hive structure.

The invention in particular relates to a hive structure that reduces losses during the winter months for use in beekeeping.

State of the Art

Hives used in beekeeping function as structures where bee colonies shelter, live and work. Hives are the basic tools for beekeepers to manage bees, provide a healthy environment and carry out beekeeping activities and some of theirfunctions can be listed as follows:

• Beekeeping: Hives are places where bee colonies live and breed. Bees lay eggs, make honey and store pollen by forming honeycombs in frames inside the hive.

• Protecting the Colony: Hives protect the bees against external influences. They provide protection from weather conditions, foreign bee attacks and predators.

• Climate Control: Hives create a microclimate that protects bee colonies against environmental changes. Especially in winter, it is important to insulate the hive well and regulate the temperature.

The most commonly used hive types in beekeeping around the world are Langstroth hive and Dadant hive. The Langstroth hive works with a system in which the frames are of standard sizes, and the frames form the honeycomb structure within the colony, allowing beekeepers to control, maintain and intervene in the colony. The hive usually comprises a bottom base, one or more spaced floors, frame carriers and a top cover. This modular structure allows beekeepers to easily add and remove frames, adjust the size of the hive, and perform vertical flooring and maintenance. Dadant hive is generally known for having larger frame sizes. This allows for larger colonies and more honey production. Dadant hives usually have a frame capacity of 10-12 pieces, but smaller versions can also be found. Increasing the number of frames can serve larger bee populations and more honey production. In beekeeping, climate has a significant impact on the health, activity and productivity of bee colonies. Climate includes factors such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and other weather conditions and directly or indirectly affects many issues such as honey harvest, nectar flow, bee activity, reproduction and egg laying, bee wintering, diseases and parasites, hive management. In recent years, colony losses have been increasing due to increasing climate change, new generation pesticides, diseases, malnutrition and other practices. Most of these losses occur during the winter season. Bees that enter the winter weakly, are malnourished or diseased, and are adversely affected by pesticides cannot maintain the temperature balance of the hive and die. In this case, in addition to the loss of many colonies in the winter, many colonies cannot be used for production because they become very weak in the winter.

Due to climate change, very high temperatures in summer negatively affect bees and productivity decreases. Honey production per hive in Turkiye has decreased from 18 kg to 11 kg, and this amount is around half of the world average. There are many reasons for the low productivity, one of which is that the fully loaded bees that come to the hive full during the nectar flow period fall in front of the hive and fall prey to other hunters before they can fly back and enter the hive. In addition, in rainy weather, the guard bees in front of the hive become wet and remain motionless, leaving the hive vulnerable and causing many creatures to harm the bees.

In the state of the art, new systems, including hive heating, are implemented to increase efficiency. However, it is very difficult to use heating systems in colonies located in rural and mountainous areas. Therefore, the problem of too low and too high temperatures becomes more important with climate change.

Since fully loaded bees coming to the hives from outside are heavy, they can fall to the ground with the water, pollen, propolis and nectar they collect. Forager bees coming from outside, full and heavy, fall to the ground in front of the hive and become food for other creatures or die before they can get to the hive. There is a significant loss of efficiency due to this problem.

As a result of the searches made on the subject, document No KR20170141873A is encountered. The application relates to a beehive whose internal volume can be increased, and the vertical hive shape is enlarged horizontally instead of increasing its internal volume and adding floors. In the mentioned application, a landing platform for bees, a canopy or elements to increase insulation are not mentioned. As a result, due to the abovementioned disadvantages and the insufficiency of the current solutions regarding the subject matter, a development is required to be made in the relevant technical field.

Object of the Invention

The present invention aims to solve the abovementioned disadvantages by being inspired from the current conditions.

The main object of the invention is to minimise the losses experienced in beehives during the winter months and to increase the efficiency by providing protection under high temperatures thanks to the coating that provides shade and insulation during the summer months.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the guard bees in front of the hive from getting wet during rainy seasons and the hives from being left defenceless.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent overheating thanks to a canopy and insulation opened in front of the hive when the sun is at its strongest. Due to high temperatures in summer, bees try to cool the hive by flapping their wings in front of the hive and spend energy. With the invention, efficiency will increase as bees will carry less water and spend less energy for cooling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide protection of hives against fire and external impacts, as well as thermal insulation, with an insulation material-mixture. Thus, by closing the cracks in the hive, the service life of the hive is extended, and water intake is prevented.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure that the occupied bees coming from outside can reach the hive by walking from this flight platform, even if they fall to the ground with the water, pollen, propolis and nectar they collected because they are heavy.

Another object of the present invention is to remove the pollen system as a cassette and provide airflow so that the bees can work more easily when pollen production is finished.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ideal environment for the bees in order to protect the heat with insulation from all sides in the hives, to minimise the losses to be experienced in the winter months and to increase the product by ensuring that the number of bees in the hive is more in the summer months. The invention will increase productivity with stronger colonies in winter.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure that the hive is least affected by environmental factors by covering it with insulation-paint covering the entire exterior.

In order to fulfil the above-described aims, the invention is a hive structure, comprising;

• a first floor used as a brood house, in which bees are housed throughout the year,

• a second floor, which in the winter months can be clad over said first floor to provide insulation around said first floor, and which in the summer months is to be used for production by lifting upwards over said first floor used as a brood house,

• collapsible feet which, when closed, completely cover the floor of said first floor to provide insulation; collapsible feet located on opposite lower edges of said first floor, so as to allow said hive configuration to be positioned at a certain height above the floor when opened,

• a landing platform at the front of the first floor to enable the bees coming with the pollen to reach the hive structure mentioned above by walking on it without falling to the ground, and to provide insulation by placing it under the cover in winter,

• a cover with 4 mm insulation material added under the sheet metal to cover the wooden ceiling of the second floor,

• a canopy, which can move in and out of said cover in a linear motion and which is positioned at the front of said cover and is used by being brought forward at the front of the bucket under the sheet metal cover, in order to provide shade and protection from rain when in the open position and to provide insulation inside said cover when in the closed position.

The structural and characteristic features of the present invention will be understood clearly by the following drawings and the detailed description made with reference to these drawings and therefore the evaluation shall be made by taking these figures and the detailed description into consideration. Figures for Helping Understanding of the Invention

Figure 1 is the general view of the hive structure that is the subject of the invention. Figure 2 is the disassembled view of the hive structure that is the subject of the invention.

Description of the Part References

10 First floor

11 . Foot

12 Fixing apparatus

13 Sieve

14 Grid

15 Drawer

16 Landing board

17 Entrance

20 Second floor

21 Slat

30 Cover

31 Canopy

32 Insulating layer

40 Landing platform

A Hive structure

Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the inventive hive structure (A) are described by means of examples only for clarifying the subject matter.

The hive structure (A) according to the invention comprises essentially of elements connected by a first floor (10), which is used as a brood house during the whole season. The first floor (10) is preferably a rectangular prism in which the bees are housed throughout the year. A second layer (20) can be superimposed on the first layer (10) mentioned above. Said second floor (20) has the same geometrical shape as said first floor (10) and its dimensions are larger than said first floor (10) by a predetermined value. By cladding said second floor (20) over said first floor (10), insulation is provided around said first floor (10), especially in winter. Said first layer (10) and said second layer (20) are coated with an insulating paint to increase said insulation. Said second floor (20) will be used as the second floor where the honeycombs will be placed as the production floor by lifting upwards, especially in the summer months. As said second floor (20) has wider dimensions than said first floor (10), said second floor (20) has slats (21 ) on opposite lower edges. Said slats (21 ) ensure that said second layer (20) does not slide downwards when said second layer (20) is lifted upwards on said first layer (10). Said slats (21 ) are inserted into recesses formed on the opposite side surfaces of the first floor (10).

Said first floor (10) is provided with collapsible feet (11) on opposite lower edges. Said feet (11) are in quadrangular form and their width is the length of the side of said first floor (10) on which they are mounted, and their height is half the length of the side of the said first floor (10) where said feet (11 ) is not mounted. By this dimensioning of said feet (11 ), said feet (11) are provided with the feature to completely cover the base of the said first floor (10) when closed. Thus, especially in winter months, said feet (11 ) are closed and contribute to the insulation of the floor of the first floor (10). Said feet (11 ) are kept open, especially during the summer months, so that the hive structure (A) is positioned at a certain height above the ground. In this way, unwanted substances or living creatures that may be around are prevented from accessing the hive structure (A) of the invention. When said feet (11 ) are in the open position, their positions are fixed with a fixing apparatus (12) and they are prevented from bending inwards. Thus, the hive structure (A) subject to the invention is prevented from falling over as a result of various external factors.

There is a grid (14) on the floor of said first floor (10); a sieve (13) that sits on said grid (14) and has a round perforated structure through which the bees coming with pollen pass, to ensure that the pollen falls as the bees pass by; a drawer (15) with a retractable feature into which the pollen falling from the said sieve (13) falls. The level of insulation obtained can be increased by removing said drawer (15) especially in winter months and replacing it with an insulation board in the dimensions of said drawer (15).

At the front of said first floor (10) there is a landing board (16) on which the bees land when they arrive at the hive configuration (A) of the invention. At the front of said first floor (10) there is also an entrance (17) through which the bees enter when they arrive at the hive structure (A) of the invention.

The inventive hive configuration (A) comprises a landing platform (40) at the front of said first floor (10), from which bees can enter the inventive hive structure (A) by walking on it without falling to the ground. Thus, the efficiency will be increased by preventing the bees coming with pollen from falling to the ground. Said landing platform (40) can be selected as a one-piece or folding two-piece. Said landing platform (40) can be positioned in the form of a ladder when selected in sections. Said landing platform (40) preferably extends to the ground. Said landing platform (40) can be stored in said cover (30) when not in use. This will also increase the insulation provided by said cover (30).

In the hive structure (A) subject to the invention, the ceiling part of the second floor (20) can be closed with a cover (30). Said cover (30) is preferably coated with an insulating paint and provides insulation from the upper part. An insulating layer (32) may be provided in the lower part of said cover (30). Said insulating layer (32) is preferably made of 4 mm Capron material, which increases the insulation provided. The upper part of said cover (30) is preferably provided with an insulated sheet for providing insulation.

On the front side of said cover (30) there is a canopy (31) which can be opened and closed. Said canopy (31) can enter and exit said cover (30) by linear movement. While the said canopy (31) provides shade especially in summer months when it is in the open position, it acts as insulation inside the said cover (30) when it is in the closed position. Said canopy (31) can be used as ventilation in mobile beekeeping by removing it during transport and replacing it with a fly screen. Said canopy (31 ) also prevents the guard bees at the hive entrance from getting wet in rainy weather and prevents the hive from being vulnerable.

With the inventive hive structure (A), four layers of insulation (two layers of walls, two layers of insulated paint) will be provided during the winter months by dressing said second floor (20) to said first floor (10) like a dress from above and by insulated coating paint on these floors. In summer, said canopy (31 ) and six layers (said wooden cover (30), said sheet metal, said insulating layer (Capron) (32), said insulated paint) of said top cover (30) and said canopy (31 ) and landing platform (40) will prevent overheating of the hive structure (A).

The materials from which the elements comprising the hive structure (A) of the invention are manufactured may be selected as wood, Styrofoam, plastic, Plexiglas or any combination of various natural and synthetic materials.

Claims

1. A hive structure (A) for use in beekeeping, characterized by comprising:

• a first floor (10) used as a brood house, in which bees are housed throughout the year,

• a second layer (20), which in winter months can be draped over said first layer (10) to provide insulation around said first layer (10), and in summer months can be lifted upwards over said first layer (10) and used for production,

• collapsible feet (11 ) which, when closed, completely cover the floor of said first floor (10) to provide insulation; collapsible feet located on opposite lower edges of said first floor (10), so as to allow said hive structure (A) to be positioned at a certain height above the floor when opened,

• a landing platform (40) at the front of said first floor (10) to enable bees arriving with pollen to reach said hive structure (A) by walking on it without falling to the ground,

• a cover (30) for closing the ceiling portion of said second floor (20),

• a canopy (31) which can enter and exit said cover (30) by linear movement and which is positioned on the front side of said cover (30), in the open position to provide shade at high temperatures and protection from rain; in the closed position to provide an insulation inside said cover (30).

2. The hive structure (A) according to claim 1 , characterized in that said first floor (10) is in the shape of a rectangular prism.

3. The hive structure (A) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said second layer (20) has the same geometrical shape as said first layer (10) and is larger than said first layer (10) by a predetermined value.

4. The hive structure (A) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first layer (10), said second layer (20) and said cover (30) are coated with an insulating paint.

5. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising slats (21 ) positioned on the opposite lower edges of said second layer (20), which are fitted in recesses formed on the opposite side surfaces of said first layer (10) to ensure that said second layer (20) does not slide downwards when lifted upwards on said first layer (10).

6. The hive structure (A) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said feet (11) are in the form of a quadrilateral.

7. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the width of said feet (11) is equal to the length of the side of said first floor (10) on which they are mounted; the height of said feet (11 ) is half the length of the side of said first floor (10) on which they are not mounted.

8. The hive structure (A) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising fixing apparatus (12) to ensure that said feet (11) remain stationary in the open position and prevent inward bending.

9. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a grid (14) on the floor of said first floor (10); a sieve (13) that sits on said grid (14) and has a round perforated structure through which the bees coming with pollen pass, to ensure that the pollen falls as the bees pass by; a drawer (15) with a retractable feature into which the pollen falling from the said sieve (13) falls.

10. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a landing board (16) on the front side of said first floor (10) where bees land when they arrive at said hive structure (A).

11. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising an entrance (17) on the front side of said first floor (10) through which bees enter when they arrive at said hive structure (A).

12. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said landing platform (40) may be of one-piece or folding two-piece construction.

13. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising said landing platform (40) can be stored in said cover (30) to provide insulation in winter when not in use.

14. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising an insulating layer (32) positioned at the bottom of said cover (30).

15. The hive structure (A) according to claim 14, characterized in that said insulating layer (32) is made of Capron material.

16. The hive structure (A) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising an insulated sheet for insulating the upper part of said cover (30).

17. The hive structure (A) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ceiling of said second floor (20) is made of wood.