A weak colony protector for honey bees and method of use

Abstract

The application discloses a bee weak group protector and a use method, which comprises a base, the base comprises a horizontal support bottom plate, a mounting vertical plate arranged upwards from one side of the horizontal support bottom plate, and a strip-shaped shell which is arranged on the upper end of the horizontal support bottom plate and is attached to the mounting vertical plate, a passageway is arranged in the strip-shaped shell along the length direction of the strip-shaped shell, an external inlet and outlet is arranged on the outer side of the strip-shaped shell and is communicated with one end of the passageway, an internal inlet and outlet is arranged on the mounting vertical plate and is communicated with the other end of the passageway which is away from the external outlet, the inner wall of the passageway is provided with a wave-shaped anti-reflection groove except the bottom, the part of the mounting vertical plate in the passageway is provided with a knurled anti-reflection surface, a mounting guide groove is arranged on the upper end of the strip-shaped shell and is communicated with the external inlet and outlet, an isolation sheet which can be pulled upwards is arranged in the mounting guide groove, and the isolation sheet is provided with a plurality of grid through holes which are distributed from the bottom to the top. The application can effectively prevent the bee weak group from being stolen and escaping, and improve the survival rate of the bee group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of beekeeping technology, and in particular to a bee colony protector and its usage. Background Technology

[0002] Among bees, the Western honeybee and the Eastern honeybee are the most widely kept. In the wild, they are typically far apart and do not interfere with each other, with robbing being extremely rare. However, with the development of large-scale, intensive beekeeping, bee colonies are centrally managed. When nectar sources are insufficient, competition between colonies intensifies, leading to frequent robbing between colonies of the same or different species. Especially during seasons of nectar scarcity, the scent of honey emitted from the hives easily attracts foraging bees from other colonies to rob, triggering fierce conflicts. Guard bees and robbing bees fight one-on-one, causing numerous worker bee casualties. Weaker colonies are more likely to be overrun and ultimately forced to abandon their hives and abscond. If not intervened in time, robbing can spread throughout the entire hive, resulting in serious economic losses.

[0003] Furthermore, interspecies robbing of honey exists between Western honeybees and Eastern honeybees. Due to their stronger adaptability and organization, Western honeybees often lure Eastern honeybee hives, then, after satiating themselves with honey, lead a large swarm of robbing bees to invade, kill the queen, and plunder the stored honey, causing the Eastern honeybee colony to collapse. Some colonies even defect to other colonies after the queen's death, further disrupting the apiary's order.

[0004] Wasps are a major predator of honeybees, preying on foraging bees, damaging hives, and stealing larvae, pupae, and nectar, severely impacting colony stability. Different sizes of wasps pose varying degrees of threat to colonies, with large wasps being the most deadly. Although Eastern honeybees have evolved some defense mechanisms (such as enveloping and suffocating wasps), they remain at a disadvantage overall; Western honeybees, lacking effective countermeasures, suffer even greater losses.

[0005] Currently, beekeepers mainly rely on remedial measures to control robbing, such as isolating robbing colonies or relocating apiaries, but these often fail to prevent losses. With the continuous development of the bee industry, the disparity between strong and weak bee colonies is widening, making weaker colonies more vulnerable to attacks, thus triggering widespread robbing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a protective device that can effectively prevent weak bee colonies from being robbed and absconding, in order to improve colony survival rates and ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the beekeeping industry. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a bee colony protector and its usage method, which can effectively prevent weak bee colonies from being stolen or absconded, and improve the survival rate of bee colonies.

[0007] The above-mentioned technical objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a bee colony protector, comprising a base, the base including a horizontal support plate and an mounting vertical plate arranged upward from one side of the horizontal support plate, the mounting vertical plate being used to connect to a beehive, a strip-shaped outer shell being provided at the upper end of the horizontal support plate and fitting against the mounting vertical plate, the strip-shaped outer shell having an inlet / outlet channel arranged along its length, the inlet / outlet channel opening towards the mounting vertical plate, and an external inlet / outlet communicating with one end of the inlet / outlet channel being provided on the side of the strip-shaped outer shell away from the mounting vertical plate. The mounting vertical plate has an internal inlet / outlet connected to the end of the access channel away from the external outlet. The access channel, except for the bottom inner wall, is provided with a wave-shaped anti-reflective groove. The portion of the mounting vertical plate inside the access channel is provided with a knurled anti-reflective surface. The upper end of the strip-shaped shell has a downward-facing mounting guide groove connected to the external inlet / outlet. An upward-pullable isolation plate is provided in the mounting guide groove. The isolation plate has multiple grid through holes distributed from bottom to top. The lowermost grid through hole is open at the bottom. The height of the grid through hole is 3.9±0.4mm or 4.7±0.4mm.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution,

[0009] A further feature of the present invention is that a bee-like take-off and landing platform is provided outward from the external inlet and outlet positions on the horizontal support base plate.

[0010] A further feature of the present invention is that: the outer edges of both the horizontal support base plate and the mounting vertical plate are provided with mounting pieces, and each mounting piece is provided with a mounting hole.

[0011] A further feature of the present invention is that the horizontal support base plate has an inlet / outlet slope that gradually decreases towards the direction of the installation of the vertical plate at the internal inlet / outlet.

[0012] The present invention also discloses a method of using a bee colony protector, wherein the base is aligned with the beehive and installed so that the internal inlet and outlet are aligned with the hive entrance, and the protector is fixed outside the hive entrance. For honeybee farms in the vicinity where only honeybees exist, the isolation sheet does not need to be inserted; For honeybee farms in the surrounding environment where Western honeybees or wasps exist, a honeybee-specific isolation plate with a height of 3.9±0.4mm needs to be inserted into the installation guide groove; For honeybee apiaries where only Western honeybees exist in the surrounding area, it is not necessary to insert the isolation sheet; For Western honeybee apiaries in environments where wasps are present, a Western honeybee-specific isolation plate with a height of 4.7±0.4mm needs to be inserted into the installation guide groove. When moving apiaries, insert the end of the isolation plate without the grid through-hole into the installation guide groove to block the external inlet and outlet of the bee weak colony protector, keeping the bees inside the hive. After arriving at the new site, insert the end of the isolation plate with the grid through-hole into the installation guide groove and install it at the external inlet and outlet of the bee weak colony protector, allowing the bees to enter and exit the hive.

[0013] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: Firstly, when the nectar sources in the surrounding environment cannot meet the needs of the apiary, the relatively weaker bee colonies are more likely to be attacked. In this situation, it is advisable to proactively install a weak colony protector at the hive entrance. For apiaries where only Eastern honeybees exist in the surrounding area, simply installing the protector body, consisting of a base and a strip-shaped outer shell, is sufficient to prevent other Eastern honeybee colonies from attacking the protected colony, thus preventing robbing between Eastern honeybee colonies. Similarly, for apiaries where only Western honeybees exist in the surrounding area, the same protector body can prevent other Western honeybee colonies from attacking the protected colony, thus preventing robbing between Western honeybee colonies. Secondly, when the nectar sources in the surrounding environment cannot meet the needs of the apiary, the relatively weaker bee colonies are more likely to be attacked. In such cases, it is advisable to proactively install a weak colony protector at the hive entrance. For apiaries where there are also Western honeybees or wasps in the vicinity, a special isolation plate for Eastern honeybees should be installed in addition to the bee protector body consisting of a base and a strip-shaped outer shell. Since the height of the isolation plate for Eastern honeybees is H=3.9±0.4mm, which is greater than the height of the thorax of Eastern honeybee worker bees but less than the height of the thorax of Western honeybee queens and wasps, allowing Eastern honeybee worker bees to pass through while preventing the passage of Eastern honeybee queens, Western honeybee worker bees, and wasps, this effectively prevents Western honeybees and wasps from entering the Eastern honeybee hive and harming the Eastern honeybee colony, and also prevents the Eastern honeybee colony from escaping. For Western honeybee apiaries located in the vicinity of Eastern honeybees, simply installing the bee weak colony protector body consisting of a base and a strip-shaped outer shell at the hive entrance can effectively prevent Eastern honeybees from attacking the hive.

[0014] Thirdly, for apiaries where wasps are harming Western honeybees, install the main body of the bee colony protector, consisting of a mounting base and a strip-shaped outer shell, at the hive entrance. Then, install a Western honeybee-specific isolation plate in the guide groove at the front end of the protector. Since the height of the Western honeybee-specific isolation barrier is H=4.7±0.4mm, which is greater than the thorax height of Western honeybee worker bees but less than the thorax height of the queen bee and wasps, it allows Western honeybee worker bees to pass through while preventing the queen bee and wasps from passing through. This effectively prevents wasps from entering the Western honeybee hive and harming the colony, and also prevents the Western honeybee colony from escaping. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an isometric drawing and assembly drawing of the beehive mounting type of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an isometric view of the beehive mounting base of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an isometric view of the beehive mounting type strip shell of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an isometric view of the isolation plate of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the invention after installation.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Base; 11. Horizontal support base plate; 12. Mounting vertical plate; 13. Bee lifting platform; 14. Mounting plate; 15. Mounting hole; 16. Internal entrance / exit; 17. Knurled anti-reflective surface; 2. Strip-shaped outer shell; 21. Entrance / exit channel; 22. External entrance / exit; 23. Wavy anti-reflective groove; 24. Mounting guide groove; 3. Isolation plate; 31. Grid through hole; 4. Beehive. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0019] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0021] Example, refer to Figure 1-5 A bee colony protector and its usage method, including a base 1, see [link to documentation]. Figure 2The base 1 includes a horizontal support base plate 11 and an mounting vertical plate 12 that is set upward from one side of the horizontal support base plate 11. The mounting vertical plate 12 is used to connect with the beehive 4. A bee lifting and lowering platform 13 is set outward from the front end of the horizontal support base plate 11. Three mounting plates 14 are set outward from the outer edge of the horizontal support base plate 11. One mounting plate 14 is set outward from the outer edge of the mounting vertical plate 12. Each mounting plate 14 has a mounting hole 15.

[0022] The upper end of the horizontal support base plate 11 is provided with a strip-shaped outer shell 2 that fits against the mounting vertical plate 12, see Figure 3 The strip-shaped outer shell 2 has an inlet / outlet channel 21 extending along its length. The inlet / outlet channel 21 opens towards the side facing the mounting vertical plate 12. On the side of the strip-shaped outer shell away from the mounting vertical plate 12, at the bee landing platform 13, there is an external inlet / outlet 22 that communicates with one end of the inlet / outlet channel 21. The mounting vertical plate 12 has an internal inlet / outlet 16 that communicates with the end of the inlet / outlet channel 21 away from the external outlet. The horizontal support base plate 11 has an inlet / outlet ramp at the internal inlet / outlet 16 that gradually decreases towards the mounting vertical plate 12. The ramp structure of the internal inlet / outlet 16 facilitates the removal of waste from the hive by bees.

[0023] The entrance / exit channel 21, except for the bottom inner wall, is equipped with several wavy anti-reflective grooves 23. The portion of the vertical plate 12 installed within the entrance / exit channel 21 has a knurled anti-reflective surface 17. This anti-reflective structure ensures that light entering the channel from the bee's external entrance / exit 22 is not reflected, resulting in a brightness significantly lower than the external environment. A dark, narrow passage is constructed between the hive entrance 4 and the external environment, providing ample defensive depth for the bee colony. Bees in darkness can clearly see the size, shape, and state of animals in a relatively brighter environment; when bees and other animals first enter a relatively dark and unfamiliar environment from a bright one, they see only darkness and cannot clearly see the size, shape, and state of objects and animals within the dark environment. Therefore, bees in the dark environment will launch a sudden and deadly attack on intruders from the brighter environment. Thus, this dark, narrow passage acts as a stronghold, deterring intruders from easily entering the dark space. The wave-shaped anti-reflective groove 23 has a waveform structure that makes it easy for the defensive bees to hide and attack intruders, making the intruders feel fear and dare not enter. The warning sound emitted by the defensive bees hiding in the dark can also scare away the intruders.

[0024] The upper end of the strip-shaped shell is provided with an installation guide groove 24 that communicates with the external inlet and outlet 22. An isolation plate 3 that can be pulled out upward is provided in the installation guide groove 24. The isolation plate 3 has multiple grid through holes 31 distributed from bottom to top. The bottommost grid through hole 31 is open at the bottom. The height of the grid through hole 31 is 3.9±0.4mm or 4.7±0.4mm.

[0025] Observations of wild bee hives revealed that when sunlight directly illuminates the hive swarm, the colony is highly vulnerable to attacks from other bee colonies, wasps, and other animals. Stronger colonies possess some defensive capabilities, while weaker colonies have low defenses and are easily invaded by these animals, who steal honey and insect pupae. Conversely, when sunlight does not directly reach the hive swarm, and bees must traverse a dark, narrow passage to reach it, no instances of colony theft were observed, and wax moth infestations are less likely to occur. This dark, narrow passage provides ample defensive depth for the bee colony. This is because bees in darkness can clearly see the size, shape, and state of animals in brighter environments. When bees first enter a relatively dark environment from a bright one, they see only darkness and cannot discern the size, shape, and state of objects and animals within the dark environment. Therefore, bees in dark environments will launch sudden and deadly attacks on intruders from brighter environments. Consequently, intruders dare not easily enter dark spaces. This discovery provides the theoretical and practical basis for this invention.

[0026] This invention is used for beekeeping and is specifically designed to address the biological characteristics of bees. When the surrounding nectar sources at the apiary cannot meet the apiary's needs, a bee colony protector is proactively installed at the hive entrance (number 4) of relatively weak bee colonies. It effectively protects the bee colony under the following conditions: For apiaries in areas inhabited only by Eastern honeybees, the internal inlet / outlet 16 of the weak colony protector is aligned with the entrance of hive 4, and the protector is fixed to hive 4. The wavy anti-reflective groove 23 and the knurled anti-reflective surface 17 make the light level inside the passage significantly lower than the external environment, providing the bee colony with a dark, narrow passage to and from the hive just outside hive 4. This dark, narrow passage provides the bee colony with sufficient defensive depth. Figure 1 Assembly drawings and Figure 5 A cross-sectional view. The wave-shaped anti-reflective groove 23 has a corrugated structure that allows defensive bees to hide, making it even more difficult for intruders to enter. After installing the weak colony protector, fights between Eastern honeybees all occur outside the hive entrance, and there have been no instances of weak colonies being attacked and forced into the hive by other colonies. For apiaries of Eastern honeybees in the surrounding environment where Western honeybees or wasps exist, in addition to installing the main body of the weak colony protector, an Eastern honeybee-specific isolation plate 3 (with a grid through-hole 31 height of 3.9±0.4mm) should also be installed inside the guide groove of the isolation plate 3 of the main body of the weak colony protector. After installing the Eastern honeybee-specific isolation plate 3, Western honeybee worker bees and wasps that are larger than Eastern honeybee worker bees are kept outside the isolation plate 3, and their fighting occurs outside the hive entrance, preventing weak colonies from being attacked and entering the hive by other bee colonies; for weak Eastern honeybee colonies that have a tendency to abscond, the Eastern honeybee queen is kept inside the isolation plate 3, preventing the Eastern honeybees from escaping.

[0027] For apiaries in areas inhabited only by Western honeybees, the internal inlet / outlet 16 of the weak colony protector is aligned with the entrance of the weak colony hive 4, and the protector is fixed to the hive 4. The wavy anti-reflective groove 23 and the knurled anti-reflective surface 17 make the light level inside the passage significantly lower than the light level of the external environment, providing the bee colony with a dark, narrow passage to and from the hive just outside the entrance of hive 4. This dark, narrow passage provides the bee colony with sufficient defensive depth. Figure 1 Assembly drawings and Figure 5 A cross-sectional view. The wave-shaped anti-reflective groove 23's anti-reflective structure facilitates hiding for defensive bees, instilling fear in intruders and deterring them from entering. After installing the weak colony protector, fights between Western honeybees occur outside the hive entrance. Especially in cases of mutual theft between strong colonies in the apiary, weak Western honeybee colonies with the weak colony protector installed have not been attacked by other colonies, effectively protecting them from invasion by strong Western honeybee colonies.

[0028] For Western honeybee apiaries in environments with wasps, in addition to installing the main body of the weak colony protector, a special Western honeybee isolation plate 3 (with a grid through-hole height of 4.7±0.4mm) needs to be installed inside the guide groove of the isolation plate 3 of the main body of the weak colony protector. After installing the special Western honeybee isolation plate 3, wasps with a thorax height greater than Western honeybee worker bees are blocked outside the isolation plate 3, and their fights occur outside the hive entrance, preventing weak colonies from being attacked by wasps into the hive; for weak Western honeybee colonies with a tendency to abscond, the Western honeybee queen is blocked inside the isolation plate 3, preventing the Western honeybees from escaping.

[0029] After the surrounding nectar-producing plants have bloomed and secreted nectar in large quantities, the bee colony protector can be removed to facilitate the bees' foraging activities. After the bee colony has grown stronger, the bee colony protector can also be removed as appropriate, provided there is no threat from wasps.

[0030] When moving apiaries, the end of the isolation plate 3 without the grid through-hole 31 is inserted into the installation guide groove 24 to block the external inlet / outlet 22 of the bee weak colony protector, keeping the bees inside the beehive 4. After arriving at the new site, the end of the isolation plate 3 with the grid through-hole 31 is inserted into the installation guide groove 24 and installed at the external inlet / outlet 22 of the bee weak colony protector, allowing the bees to enter and exit the hive.

[0031] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bee colony protector, comprising a base (1), characterized in that: The base (1) includes a horizontal support base plate (11) and an mounting vertical plate (12) arranged upward from one side of the horizontal support base plate (11). The mounting vertical plate (12) is used to connect with the beehive (4). The upper end of the horizontal support base plate (11) is provided with a strip-shaped shell (2) that fits against the mounting vertical plate (12). The strip-shaped shell (2) has an inlet / outlet channel (21) arranged along its length. The inlet / outlet channel (21) opens on one side facing the mounting vertical plate (12). The strip-shaped shell (2) has an external inlet / outlet (22) that communicates with one end of the inlet / outlet channel (21) on the side away from the mounting vertical plate (12). The horizontal support base plate (11) is provided with a bee landing platform (13) at the external inlet / outlet (22). The outer edges of the horizontal support base plate (11) and the mounting vertical plate (12) are provided with mounting pieces (14). Each mounting piece (14) is provided with a mounting hole (15). The mounting vertical plate (12) is provided with an internal inlet / outlet (16) that is connected to the end of the access channel (21) away from the external inlet / outlet (22). The horizontal support base plate (11) is provided with an inlet / outlet slope that gradually decreases towards the mounting vertical plate (12) at the internal inlet / outlet (16). The inlet and outlet channel (21) is provided with a wave-shaped anti-reflective groove (23) on the inner wall except the bottom. The part of the mounting vertical plate (12) in the inlet and outlet channel (21) is provided with a knurled anti-reflective surface (17). The upper end of the strip shell (2) is provided with an installation guide groove (24) that communicates with the external inlet and outlet (22). The installation guide groove (24) is provided with an upwardly pullable isolation plate (3). The isolation plate (3) has multiple grid through holes (31) distributed from bottom to top. The bottommost grid through hole (31) is open at the bottom. The height of the grid through hole (31) is 3.9±0.4mm or 4.7±0.4mm.

2. A method of using a bee colony protector according to claim 1, characterized in that, Install the base (1) aligned with the beehive (4), align the internal inlet / outlet (16) with the hive entrance of the beehive (4), and fix the protector outside the hive entrance of the beehive (4); For honeybee farms where only honeybees exist in the surrounding area, it is not necessary to insert the isolation sheet (3); For honeybee farms in the surrounding environment where Western honeybees or wasps exist, a honeybee-specific isolation plate (3) with a height of 3.9±0.4mm needs to be inserted into the installation guide groove (24) through the grid through hole (31). For honeybee farms where only honeybees exist in the surrounding area, it is not necessary to insert the isolation plate (3). For Western honeybee apiaries in the surrounding environment where wasps exist, a Western honeybee-specific isolation plate (3) with a height of 4.7±0.4mm needs to be inserted into the installation guide groove (24) through the grid through hole (31). When moving bee farms, insert the end of the isolation plate (3) without the grid through hole (31) into the installation guide groove (24) to block the external inlet and outlet (22) of the bee weak colony protector, so that the bees are kept inside the beehive (4). After arriving at the new site, insert the end of the isolation plate (3) with the grid through hole (31) into the installation guide groove (24) and install it at the external inlet and outlet (22) of the bee weak colony protector so that the bees can enter and exit the hive.

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