Climate frame for magazine hives for beekeeping and magazine hives with it

Abstract

Climate box (1) for magazine hives (3) for beekeeping with a surrounding box wall (10), wherein a magazine hive (3) is formed from a bottom part (31) and boxes (32) placed on it and a lid (33), the climate box (1) has a cross-section suitable for the boxes (32) and the lid (33) and the climate box (1) is arranged between the uppermost box (32) and the lid (33) of the magazine hive (3), characterized in that the climate box (1) has a bottom (15) permeable to air via first openings (16) and a water vapor permeable film (2) is arranged over the entire cross-section above or resting on the bottom (15).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a climate-controlled hive for magazine hives for beekeeping, comprising a surrounding box wall. A magazine hive is formed from a base part, frames placed thereon, and a lid. The climate-controlled hive has a cross-section that matches the frames and the lid, and the climate-controlled hive is arranged between the top frame and the lid of the magazine hive. Furthermore, the invention relates to a magazine hive constructed using this method.

[0002] Such frames are known for so-called magazine hives for beekeeping in various designs. These magazine hives can be assembled in a modular fashion according to their intended purpose and the components they contain.

[0003] The bee colony living in a magazine hive generates heat through its activity, ensuring a temperature inside the hive sufficient for the colony's survival, even on cold winter nights. However, excessive humidity inside the hive can have critical consequences: the heat introduced by the bees leads to excessive evaporation, resulting in evaporative cooling, and the resulting insufficient temperature for the colony. Furthermore, high humidity increases the thermal conductivity of the air, which further leads to heat loss. Since excessive humidity promotes mold growth, which poses a significant threat to the colony's health, excessive humidity inside the hive must be avoided.

[0004] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device that reduces the relative humidity inside the bee colony's dwelling.

[0005] This task is solved with a specially equipped frame, which is inserted between the top frame for the bee colony and the lid of the magazine hive. This climate-controlled frame is characterized by a floor that is permeable to air through initial openings and a water vapor-permeable film arranged over the entire cross-section above or resting on the floor.

[0006] The water vapor permeable film allows air flowing naturally through the hive, usually from the entrance near the bottom through the frames mounted on top of it, to be released into the environment. What's special about it is that a water vapor permeable film is positioned in the air flow path in such a way that the air carrying the humidity penetrates this film, is then cooled in the space above, and the moisture contained in this air condenses. The moisture that forms droplets above the water vapor permeable film cannot penetrate back into the housing space of the magazine hive because this film is impermeable to water. In addition, the condensation of the air passing through the water vapor permeable film with the air flow creates condensation heat in this climate hive, which essentially forms a heat buffer above the magazine hive inhabited by the bee colony.

[0007] In a further embodiment, the climate frame is characterized in that the water vapor permeable film is a so-called diffusion-open film with an sd value x, with x < 0.2 m, in particular x < 0.04 m, particularly preferably x ≤ 0.02 m.

[0008] Such a water vapor-permeable film is known in the state of the art, for example, in the construction industry as a so-called diffusion-open construction film as an outer covering for buildings, for example, in the roof area directly beneath the roofing and / or as an outer finish directly beneath the facade covering for the thermal insulation structure. An example is the product "Delta-Fassade 50" from Dörken GmbH & Co KG, 58313 Herdecke, which has a water vapor permeability of sd = 0.02 m.

[0009] By creating second openings in the hive wall, positioned above the water vapor-permeable film and with a clear width of ≤ 4 mm, the air exchange with the ambient air above the water vapor-permeable film within the climate frame is improved, allowing the moisture generated in this space to be removed through natural air exchange. The second openings should have a clear width of ≤ 4 mm to prevent bees from gaining access to this cavity.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the second openings are formed as a plurality of 4 mm holes in the surrounding box wall. This allows for easily created second openings in a wooden box wall by drilling holes, allowing for moderate ventilation of the cavity above the water vapor-permeable film. The number of holes can be adjusted to the desired ventilation function. Excessive ventilation is limited by the number of relatively small holes and can be determined empirically.

[0011] If the surrounding box wall has a height of 6 cm to 25 cm, in particular 8 cm to 15 cm, and a cavity with a height of at least 5 cm, preferably about 10 cm, is formed above the water vapor-permeable film up to the lid placed over it, a sufficiently large cavity is provided above the water vapor-permeable film so that the moist air passing through the film is given sufficient space for condensation and also for later venting.

[0012] If the floor is made of a wood or wood-based panel with the first openings designed as slits with a clear width of ≤ 4 mm, a material suitable for the entire magazine hive is provided. By creating slits in the wood or wood-based panel, these can be manufactured with minimal effort. The narrow clear width of ≤ 4 mm prevents bees from penetrating through this floor to the water vapor-permeable film.

[0013] Because the water vapor-permeable film is enclosed in a flat frame that fits snugly within the surrounding box wall and rests on the floor, the water vapor-permeable film can be removed from the climate frame with the flat frame for cleaning purposes and then precisely reinserted. This prevents damage to the film enclosed in this way.

[0014] Preferably, handling devices are attached to the flat frame. For example, a handle or eyelets are provided on the flat frame.

[0015] To match the overall structure of the magazine hive, the flat frame is made of wood or a wood-based material.

[0016] If an insulating material is inserted into the cavity of the climate frame above the water vapor-permeable film, additional thermal insulation can be provided within the climate frame if necessary. This can further reduce the already low heat loss in the area of ​​the climate frame in special climatic conditions.

[0017] The insulation material is preferably moisture-resistant and permeable to diffusion, especially a wood fiber insulation board of the appropriate size. This ensures that even in the event of high levels of moisture, the insulation can subsequently release the absorbed moisture as quickly as possible, thus preventing mold growth.

[0018] Another subject of the invention is a magazine hive for beekeeping, consisting of a base part and frames and a lid placed thereon, wherein a climate frame according to the invention is arranged between the top frame and the lid.

[0019] An embodiment of the invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0020] It shows: Fig. 1: in a spatial view in exploded view a climate frame according to the invention; Fig. 2: in a cross section along the Fig. 1 climate frame shown with II-II marked cut surface and Fig. 3: a magazine hive in three-dimensional view with an inserted climate frame.

[0021] In Fig. 1 shows an exploded spatial view of a climate-controlled hive 1 with a removed water vapor-permeable film 2. The climate-controlled hive 1 has a box wall 10 which, together with four frame walls 11, 12, 13, 14, defines a cuboid-shaped space (cavity 18). The first to fourth frame walls 11, 12, 13, 14 are preferably made of solid wood strips. The climate-controlled hive 1 also has a base 15 which is attached to the underside of the box wall 10. First openings 16, here designed as slots, are provided in the base 15. The slots 16 have a maximum clear width of 4 mm to prevent bees from entering the cavity 18 of the climate-controlled hive 1 from underlying frames of a magazine hive during intended use.

[0022] Second openings 17 in the form of holes with a maximum diameter of 4 mm are provided in the frame walls 11, 12, 13, and 14. These second openings 17 serve to provide limited ventilation of the cavity 18 with outside air.

[0023] For the sake of clarity, the water vapor-permeable film 2 is shown in an exploded view outside the climate-controlled frame 1. When used as intended, the water vapor-permeable film 2 is inserted into the climate-controlled frame 1 such that it covers the floor 15. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the water vapor-permeable film 2 is enclosed in a flat frame 21, also made of wooden slats, so that it can be removed for cleaning purposes. To further facilitate handling, a handling device (handle) 22 is provided on the flat frame 21. This allows the beekeeper to remove and reinsert the flat frame 21, which is precisely fitted into the inside of the hive wall 10, with the water vapor-permeable film for cleaning purposes, etc.

[0024] The finished installation situation is in Fig. 2 along the Fig. 1 with II-II marked section. Accordingly, the second frame wall 12 on the left and the fourth frame wall 14 on the right are in Fig. 2 in cross-section. The second openings 17, designed as 4 mm holes, are also visible there. The lower end of the climate frame 1 is formed by the base 15, in which 16 slots are provided as the first openings. Visible on the base 15 is the water vapor-permeable film 2 with the flat frame 21. In the embodiment shown here, an insulating material 4 in the form of an insulating material plate is arranged in the cavity 18 above the water vapor-permeable film 2.

[0025] In Fig. Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional view of a magazine hive 3 consisting of a base section 31 and three frames 32, particularly for hanging honeycomb frames. The climate-controlled frame 1 according to the invention is placed above the uppermost frame 32. The climate-controlled frame 1 is closed at the top with a commercially available lid 33.

[0026] With the climate frame 1 according to the invention, the internal temperature of the magazine hive 3 in the area of ​​the frames 32 populated by the bee colony is 2 to 4° Kelvin warmer than with the same arrangement as in Fig. 3 but without the climate frame 1. This is already an easily measurable advantage when using the climate frame 1 in a magazine hive 3 for the overwintering of bee colonies. However, even more important is the influence of the relative humidity in the housing, i.e. in the frames 32 of the magazine hive 3 when constructed according to Fig.3, i.e. with climate frame 1 as the upper closure under the lid 33 in comparison to an arrangement without climate frame 1. It has been found that the relative humidity within the frames 32 is 5 to 15% lower than in a conventional construction of a magazine hive 3 without climate frame 1.

[0027] Naturally, the relative humidity varies due to the humidity in the ambient air and the ambient temperature. Nevertheless, comparative measurements have shown a significant reduction in relative humidity. The bees living in a magazine hive 3 constructed according to the invention with a climate-controlled box 1 benefit doubly from the better insulating effect of dry air and the resulting condensation heat. The climate-controlled box reduces the evaporative cooling, uses the condensation heat and ensures better insulation in the boxes 32 below due to the drier air created. Without the climate-controlled box 1, the significantly more humid air causes more evaporative cooling and increases the thermal conductivity of the air inside the boxes 32, so that the heat loss from the bee colony to the environment is greater. The bee colony has to expend more energy. List of reference symbols 1 climate frame 10 Box wall 11 first frame wall 12 second frame wall 13 third frame wall 14 fourth frame wall 15 Floor 16 first openings 17 second openings 18 cavity 2 Water vapor permeable film 21 Flat frame 22 Handling equipment 3 magazine loot 31 Base part 32 frame 33 lids 4 Insulating materials

Claims

[1] Climate frame (1) for magazine hives (3) for beekeeping with a surrounding box wall (10), wherein a magazine hive (3) is formed from a base part (31) and frames (32) and a lid (33) placed thereon, the climate frame (1) has a cross-section matching the frames (32) and the lid (33) and the climate frame (1) is arranged between the uppermost frame (32) and the lid (33) of the magazine hive (3), characterized by that the climate frame (1) has a base (15) which is permeable to air via first openings (16) and a water vapor-permeable film (2) is arranged over the entire cross-section above the base (15) or lying thereon. [2] Climate frame according to claim 1, characterized by that the water vapor-permeable film (2) is a so-called diffusion-open film with an sd value x, with x < 0.2 m, in particular x < 0.04 m, particularly preferably x ≤ 0.02 m. [3] Climate frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat second openings (17) are formed in the box wall (10), which are arranged above the water vapor-permeable film (2) and have a clear width ≤ 4 mm. [4] Climate frame according to claim 3, characterized by that the second openings (17) are formed as a plurality of 4 mm bores in the circumferential box wall (10). [5] Climate frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the surrounding box wall (10) has a height of 6 cm to 25 cm, in particular 8 cm to 15 cm, and a cavity (18) with a height of at least 5 cm, preferably approximately 10 cm, is formed above the water vapor-permeable film (2) up to the lid (33) placed thereon. [6] Climate frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the base (15) is made of a wood or wood-based panel, wherein the first openings (16) are designed as slots with a clear width ≤ 4 mm. [7] Climate frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the water vapor-permeable film (2) is enclosed in a flat frame (21) which can be inserted precisely within the surrounding box wall (10) and placed on the floor (15). [8] Climate frame according to claim 7, characterized by that handling means (22) are attached to the flat frame (21). [9] Climate frame according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by that the flat frame (21) is made of wood or a wood-based material. [10] Climate frame according to claim 5 and one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an insulating material (4) is inserted into the cavity (18) of the climate frame (1) above the water vapor-permeable film (2). [11] Climate frame according to claim 10, characterized by that the insulation material (4) is insensitive to moisture and permeable to diffusion, in particular a wood fibre insulation board of suitable size. [12] Magazine hive (3) for beekeeping, consisting of a base part (31) and frames (32) placed thereon and a lid (33), characterized by that a climate frame (1) according to one of the preceding claims is arranged between the uppermost frame (32) and the cover (33).

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