Abstract: A beehive providing improved humidity and moisture control within the hive box through incorporation of a condensation chamber, improved temperature stability through enhanced airflow, enhanced colony health through improved control of temperature and humidity, and reduction of physical damage to bees during routine maintenance and harvesting tasks through novel construction geometry.

Abstract: A queen excluder assembly for a two queen beehive includes a queen excluder, a frame surrounding a perimeter of the queen excluder, and a central filler piece provided over a portion of the queen excluder. A removable divider board can be inserted over the queen excluder to separate a queen's chamber below the queen excluder from a remainder of the beehive above the queen excluder.

Abstract: A container for a nucleus hive of bees including a box having a polygonal shaped bottom and a plurality of side walls. Each one of the plurality of side walls extends upwardly from an edge of the polygonal shaped bottom. A side edge of each side wall is attached to a side edge of an adjacent side wall and upper edges of the side walls form an opening. The opening has an area larger than the area of the polygonal shaped bottom and a shape substantially corresponding to the polygonal shaped bottom. A hive frame support means is positioned on inner wall surfaces of a plurality of the side walls. A polygonal shaped removable lid is configured to rest upon and cover the opening. The box and lid are preferably formed from a rigid commodity grade plastic material.

Abstract: A beehive comprises a main housing, a primary entrance housing that is rotatably attached to the main housing, and a rotation element for rotating the main housing about its rotational axis between vertical and horizontal positions. The main housing includes chambers for holding honey frames and brood frames. The primary entrance housing includes a primary entrance slot that allows ingress and egress of bees into and out of the primary entrance housing. A primary entrance tube connects the main housing to the primary entrance housing. The primary entrance tube provides a path of travel for bees to move between the primary entrance housing and the main housing. In this configuration, the bees may freely move from the exterior of the beehive, through the primary entrance slot into the primary entrance housing, and through the primary entrance tube into the chambers of the main housing.

Abstract: A beehive includes a column of stacked boxes which open onto each other at their tops and bottoms, with the column bearing a cap at its top and a floor at its bottom. The boxes have access ports for ingress and egress of bees, and the column is suspended above the ground on a support post which bears a pivot such that the column can be tipped from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation for easy maintenance. Bars, frames, and/or screens may be hung within and atop the boxes to promote desired comb-building behaviors, with bees tending to build comb downwardly from higher boxes into lower boxes. At desired times, upper boxes bearing honey may be removed from the column and lower boxes bearing brood may be rotated to the top of the column so that the bees continuously propagate down the column.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuously monitoring the weight of an object. The apparatus does not obstruct a central portion of the bottom of the object being monitored, and is especially well-suited for monitoring the weight of a beehive. In the illustrative embodiment, a ring-shaped fluid-filled bladder is sandwiched between a ring-shaped top surface and a ring-shaped base, and a pressure hose connects the bladder to a pressure gauge. Beehive weight data can be obtained in a continuous fashion, without requiring any moving of the beehive or of the apparatus, and without any other type of disruption. Moreover, the apparatus provides a stable platform that keeps the beehive immobile during monitoring, which is beneficial for the health of the colony. Advantageously, the apparatus can be constructed from inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and materials, and is capable of obtaining accurate measurements over a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions.

Abstract: A bottom board for supporting a honey bee hive which has a board, three vertical walls extending above and below the board, with a first groove opening that extends between two parallel vertical walls wherein a screen covers the first groove opening and an aperture extends thru the one of the two vertical walls that is in communication with the first groove opening and whereby one end of a tray extends thru the aperture so that a beekeeper has access to the tray without disturbing the remainder of the hive.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuously monitoring the weight of an object are disclosed. The apparatus does not obstruct a central portion of the bottom of the object being monitored, and is especially well-suited for monitoring the weight of a beehive. In the illustrative embodiment, a ring-shaped fluid-filled bladder is sandwiched between a ring-shaped top surface and a ring-shaped base, and a pressure hose connects the bladder to a pressure gauge. Beehive weight data can be obtained in a continuous fashion, without requiring any moving of the beehive or of the apparatus, and without any other type of disruption. Moreover, the apparatus provides a stable platform that keeps the beehive immobile during monitoring, which is beneficial for the health of the colony. Advantageously, the apparatus can be constructed from inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and materials, and is capable of obtaining accurate measurements over a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions.

Abstract: A nest for solitary bees may be fashioned from a rectangular solid of either a solid matrix or a number of nest elements. Each side of the nest contains a multiplicity of apertures, where each aperture provides a nesting cavity for the bees. Each aperture has an open end and a closed end. If fashioned from individual nest elements, the orientation of the apertures may be adjusted as desired, such that each element may be stacked upon an adjacent element in one of four orientations, so that the cavities of one element may be at 0°, 90°, 180° or 270° relative to an adjacent element. If desired, the aperture density of each side may be adjusted as desired. The configuration of the nesting cavities of the present invention reduces congestion at nest entrances and provides shelter to the bees from predators and the environment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuously monitoring the weight of an object. The apparatus does not obstruct a central portion of the bottom of the object being monitored, and is especially well-suited for monitoring the weight of a beehive. In the illustrative embodiment, a ring-shaped fluid-filled bladder is sandwiched between a ring-shaped top surface and a ring-shaped base, and a pressure hose connects the bladder to a pressure gauge. Beehive weight data can be obtained in a continuous fashion, without requiring any moving of the beehive or of the apparatus, and without any other type of disruption. Moreover, the apparatus provides a stable platform that keeps the beehive immobile during monitoring, which is beneficial for the health of the colony. Advantageously, the apparatus can be constructed from inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and materials, and is capable of obtaining accurate measurements over a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions.

Abstract: A beehive includes a column of stacked boxes which open onto each other at their tops and bottoms, with the column bearing a cap at its top and a floor at its bottom. The boxes have access ports for ingress and egress of bees, and the column is suspended above the ground on a support post which bears a pivot such that the column can be tipped from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation for easy maintenance. Bars, frames, and/or screens may be hung within and atop the boxes to promote desired comb-building behaviors, with bees tending to build comb downwardly from higher boxes into lower boxes. At desired times, upper boxes bearing honey may be removed from the column and lower boxes bearing brood may be rotated to the top of the column so that the bees continuously propagate down the column.

Abstract: A bee house for housing a plurality of bee hives includes a generally rectangular frame and four upwardly extending opaque fixed walls fixed to the frame and a gable roof having a generally triangular cross-section. The roof has a peak and a pair of eaves or outer edges below its peak and defines a longitudinally extending opening between a pair of roof panels at or along the peak. The bee house also includes a plurality of shelves for holding three bee hives on each shelf and an air-conditioner for maintaining the bee house at a temperature of between about 25° C. and 35 C.

Abstract: A bee house for housing a plurality of bee hives includes a generally rectangular frame and four upwardly extending opaque fixed walls fixed to the frame and a gable roof having a generally triangular cross-section. The roof has a peak and a pair of eaves or outer edges below its peak and defines a longitudinally extending opening between a pair of roof panels at or along the peak. The bee house also includes a plurality of shelves for holding three bee hives on each shelf and an air-conditioner for maintaining the bee house at a temperature of between about 25° C. and 35 C.

Abstract: A device positioned beneath a beehive for use in controlling parasites in beehives including a base structure and a number of bars extending across the base structure. The bars are held spaced from one another by crosspieces engaged with the bars and the base structure. The bars are spaced from one another to enable waste and parasites to fall between the bars. The bars are formed of a low-adhesion material to prevent the parasites from being able to climb onto the bars and back into the beehive.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for managing bee colonies to prevent a variety of diseases, infestations and generally improve the health and productivity of the colony are provided. Such diseases may arise from a variety of sources, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa and parasites that infest the colony and the hive. Representative diseases preventable or treatable by this compositions and methods disclosed herein include, but are not limited to Foulbrood, Chalkbrood, and Nosema. Examples of infestations treatable and preventable by the compositions and methods disclosed include acarids or mites and insects such as hive beetles and the like. The compositions of the present invention include neutral or acidic solutions of an aromatic sulfonic acid, aqueous salt solutions, and wood sealants.

Abstract: A Small Hive Beetle trap, which replaces the bottom board of beehives, includes a frame having three walls and a top surface, a trap plate, an entry device, and a trapping means. The trapping device provides a dark environment attractive to small hive beetles and contains a small hive beetle attractant made from pollen dough and inoculated with yeast that produces small hive beetle attracting volatiles.

Abstract: A beehive support structure has a lowermost section forming a nest floor which is supported so that it can be slid out. Above the lowermost section, the structure is adapted to support one or more honey floors. The frame-support structure can be adjusted as regards various geometric parameters, such as width, depth and height, of the various floors.