Beehive accessory that acts as a trap to combat Aetina Tumida

Abstract

Hive accessory (1) constituting a trap for combating Aetina Tumida, comprising a frame support (10) constituting a stacking element of the accessory, and at least one, preferably several trap receptacles (2) carried by the frame support (10).

Description

Title of the invention: Hive accessory constituting a trap to combat Aetina Tumida

[0001] The invention relates to a beehive accessory for the control of bee parasites, in particular for the control of Aetina Tumida.

[0002] It is known to arrange traps for Aetina Tumida in beehives, such as the one described in international patent application WO2007102035. However, this trap is particularly bulky.

[0003] The invention therefore aims to provide another trapping solution for Aetina Tumida, the trap being intended to be arranged in the upper part of the hive above a hive super.

[0004] According to the invention, the beehive accessory constituting a trap to combat Aetina Tumida, comprises a frame support constituting a stacking element of the accessory (on a beehive super), and at least one, preferably several trap receptacles carried by the frame support.

[0005] Thus, the hive accessory constituting a trap to combat Aetina Tumida can be installed in the upper part of the hive immediately above a super.

[0006] In the following description the term "height", the qualifiers "upper", "lower", "top" and "bottom" of an element of the accessory are used in the context of a stacked installation of the accessory on a beehive super.

[0007] According to one feature, said at least one trap receptacle is removable from the frame support.

[0008] According to one feature, the frame support comprises a frame-shaped body which has an inner wall, the inner wall having (near the upper end) support means for the trap receptacles, in particular the support means being made up of crenellated shapes on two opposite sides, which constitute female housings to accommodate male shapes of opposite distal ends of the receptacles.

[0009] According to one feature, said at least one trap receptacle has two opposing end shoulders which form frame heads in the manner of a Dadant frame.

[0010] According to one feature, each trap receptacle has a base, two (vertical) walls spaced to create an internal hollow volume, and a top surface (which includes the end shoulders), each of the walls having holes through holes, in particular the cross-section of the through holes being less than the size of a bee and greater than the size of an Aetina Tumida.

[0011] Preferably, the through holes in the walls are hexagonal in shape and are multiple to form a structure in the manner of honeycomb cells.

[0012] Advantageously, each of the two walls has blind holes arranged lower than the through holes, forming a honeycomb structure (creating hexagonal impressions that serve as a lure for Aetina tumida). Preferably, the blind holes form at least one lower line, while the through holes form parallel lower lines above. The blind holes extend a certain height from the bottom of the receptacle to the walls, providing a certain height of solid walls to create a container for depositing sticky parasite-trapping material.

[0013] According to one feature, at least the walls of each receptacle are black in color, preferably the entire receptacle is black in color.

[0014] According to one feature, the beehive accessory, in particular the frame support and the receptacles, are made of plastic, preferably polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), including recycled plastic. The plastic material allows for the easy manufacture of all the parts of the frame support and the receptacle in complex shapes and in large quantities. Furthermore, the receptacles can be easily cleaned.

[0015] According to one feature, the beehive accessory, preferably the frame support on its so-called outer wall, has molded protruding and / or hollow shapes, for removably fixing said accessory on a so-called upper part of a beehive body such as a beehive super using clip-on fixing means or of the beehive element fixing type.

[0016] The invention also relates to a beehive comprising a beehive accessory of the aforementioned invention.

[0017] The present invention is now described by means of purely illustrative and in no way limiting examples of the scope of the invention, and from the accompanying illustrations, in which: - [Fig.l] represents a top perspective view of an example of a trap hive accessory for combating Aetina Tumida according to the invention. - [Fig.2] corresponds to the accessory of [Fig.1] showing only one trap receptacle, this being detached from the frame support. - [Fig.3] represents a detailed side view of the trap receptacle of [Fig.1]. - [[Fig.4]] is a top view of the trap receptacle.

[0018] The beekeeping accessory 1 for controlling bee parasites, illustrated in [Fig.1], is in particular a trap for Aetina Tumida.

[0019] Preferably, the beehive accessory 1 is made of plastic, such as PP or HDPE, and even recycled plastic.

[0020] In the position of use, the hive accessory 1 is arranged in the upper part of the hive, in particular just above the upper part of the hive body such as a hive super. The hive accessory 1 is of dimensions adapted to be stacked on a hive super, directly on the hive super.

[0021] The hive accessory or trap 1 comprises a frame support 10 and at least one, preferably several trap receptacles 2.

[0022] The frame support 10 serves to support the plurality of trap receptacles 2 and to fix the assembly to the hive super. The trap receptacles 2 are preferably removable from the frame support 10.

[0023] The trap receptacles 2 extend along the entire length of the frame support 10 (therefore along the entire length of the hive super) and are distributed along the width of the frame support 10 by being spaced like Dadant frames arranged in the super.

[0024] The frame support 10 comprises a frame-shaped body 11 having two opposing longitudinal sides 12 and 13 and two opposing transverse sides 14 and 15. The body 11 has an inner wall 11' and an outer wall 11'. The frame support 10 includes support means 16 for the trap receptacles 2. In particular, the opposing transverse sides 14 and 15 include the support means 16 at the level of the inner wall 11'. The support means 16 advantageously consist of crenellated shapes that form female recesses to receive male shapes 20 of the receptacles 2. The support means 16 are molded and integrated as a single unit (into the inner wall 11') with the body of the frame support 10.Preferably, the support means 16, which in particular form support housings, have localized starting holes 17, in particular in the center of each of the housings, to facilitate the insertion of fixing points for fixing the end shoulders or heads 20 of the receptacles of the type shaped like frames for bee supers (but of smaller height).

[0025] Each trap receptacle 2 extends longitudinally and has, in its upper part and at the two opposite distal ends of the receptacle, two opposing projecting shoulders 20 which constitute the male forms that fit into the female forms 16 of the frame support 10. Each trap receptacle 2 comprises a base 21, two walls 22 spaced apart to create an internal hollow volume, and an upper surface 23 which includes the end shoulders 20. In the base 21 and inside each of the receptacles 2, sticky trapping material is advantageously deposited.

[0026] Each of the two walls 22 has through holes 24, preferably hexagonal in shape like honeycomb cells. The holes 24 are arranged in rows one above the other. The through holes 24 have dimensions that allow the passage of an Aetina tumida while preventing the passage of a bee. In particular, the through holes have a cross-section whose largest dimension is at least 4 mm and at most 10 mm.

[0027] The through holes 24 do not extend to the bottom of the receptacle in order to provide a certain height of solid walls for depositing sticky material to trap parasites. The hollow interior of the trap receptacle 2 allows for the depositing of sticky material. The trap receptacle 2 has, for example, a height of 50 mm. The width of the trap receptacle 2 corresponds to that of a frame in the super intended to be below it, for example, the width of a Dadant frame. Indeed, when the accessory 1 is mounted on the hive super, the trap receptacles 2 are vertically aligned with each of the Dadant frames.

[0028] Preferably, each of the two walls 22 also has (at the full height) blind holes 25 arranged lower than the through holes 24. The blind holes 25 are therefore closed. Advantageously, the blind holes 25 form at least one low line, preferably two parallel low lines one above the other, at the lower end of the walls, in the immediate vicinity of the bottom. The blind holes 25 form an impression that preferably has a hexagonal honeycomb shape in order to serve as a lure for parasites.

[0029] Preferably, at least the walls 22 are black. Advantageously, since the receptacle is made entirely of injection-molded plastic, the entire receptacle is black.

[0030] The honeycomb shape of the blind holes 25 and preferably of black colour constitutes a lure for the Aetina Tumida.

[0031] As for the upper surface 23 of the receptacle 2 ([Fig. 4]), it has either a single longitudinal slit along the entire length of the receptacle or several discontinuous slits 26 aligned along the length of the receptacle. The width of the slits 26 is approximately 8 mm. If the Aetina tumida manages to climb to the upper surface 23 without passing through a hole 24, the parasite will still fall into the receptacle via the slits 26.

[0032] The hive accessory 1 comprises molded protruding and / or hollow shapes for removably attaching said accessory 1 to a super. The molded shapes are preferably on the outer wall 11" of the body 11 of the frame support. They allow for the addition of clip-on fixing methods or of the type known and called beehive element fixings.

Claims

Demands

1. Hive accessory (1) constituting a trap for combating Aetina Tumida, comprising a frame support (10) constituting a stacking element of the accessory, and at least one, preferably several trap receptacles (2) carried by the frame support (10).

2. Hive accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one trap receptacle (2) is removable from the frame support (10).

3. A beehive accessory according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame support (10) comprises a frame-shaped body (11) which has an inner wall (11'), the inner wall (11') comprising support means (16) for the trap receptacles (2), in particular the support means (16) being made up of crenellated shapes on two opposite sides, which constitute female housings for receiving male shapes (20) of opposite distal ends of the receptacles.

4. Hive accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each trap receptacle (2) has a base (21), two walls (22) spaced apart to provide an internal hollow volume, and a top surface (23), each of the walls having through holes (24), in particular the cross-section of the through holes being less than the size of a bee and greater than the size of an Aetina Tumida.

5. Beehive accessory according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the through holes (24) are hexagonal in shape and are multiple to form a structure in the manner of honeycomb cells.

6. A beehive accessory according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that each of the two walls (22) has blind holes (25) which are arranged lower than the through holes (24) and which form a honeycomb structure, preferably the blind holes (25) forming at least one low line while the through holes form parallel low lines above.

7. Beehive accessory according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that at least the walls (22) are black in color, preferably the whole receptacle is black in color.

8. Hive accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the frame support (10) and the trap receptacles (2) are made of plastic, preferably PP or HDPE, in particular recycled plastic.

9. A beehive accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, preferably the frame support on its so-called outer wall, has molded protruding and / or hollow shapes, for removably fixing said accessory (1) on a so-called upper part of a beehive body such as a beehive super using clip-on fixing means or of the beehive element fixing type.

10. Hive comprising a hive accessory (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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