Stepped Mesh Beehive Excluder for Asian Giant Hornet Defense
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Solution Overview
Problem
European honeybees in the United States lack a defensive mechanism against the Asian Giant Hornet, also known as the Murder Hornet, which can devastate beehives by feeding on honeybee larvae, posing a significant economic threat due to the importance of honeybees in pollination, estimated to contribute approximately 20 billion dollars annually.
Innovation Solution
A pre-cut, flat sheet of mesh, preferably wire mesh, is folded to cover the beehive entrance, allowing honeybees to pass through while excluding larger wasps by having openings between 6 mm and 10 mm, creating a 'safe cage' with a stepped design that allows honeybees to enter and exit safely while preventing Murder Hornets from invading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mesh with small openings is used to exclude Murder Hornets, then the exclusion effectiveness is improved, but the honeybees may be blocked from entering and exiting the hive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully selecting the mesh opening size to fall within a specific range (0.5-2 inches) that differs from both the size of honeybees and Murder Hornets. This parameter optimization allows the mesh to selectively exclude hornets while permitting bee passage, resolving the contradiction between exclusion effectiveness and bee access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating a stepped structure where the front step is higher than the back step, providing different heights at different locations. This local variation in structure creates a safe zone at the higher front step where bees can gather and orient themselves, while the lower back step allows easier passage into the hive, thus maintaining both protection and accessibility.
2Reliability
If a mesh structure is installed at the hive entrance, then protection from Murder Hornets is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the mesh structure into distinct functional segments: a front step portion, a back step portion, and a connecting mesh section. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function (front step for safety zone, back step for passage, mesh for exclusion) while keeping the overall design relatively simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mesh material that functions as a thin film or flexible structure, which provides effective protection against Murder Hornets while maintaining simplicity in construction. The mesh can be formed into the required stepped shape and installed as a relatively simple component compared to more complex exclusion devices.
3Productivity
If the mesh openings are made larger to allow easier bee passage, then bee flow is improved, but the ability to exclude Murder Hornets deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through parameter changes by establishing an optimal opening size range (0.5-2 inches) that balances both bee flow and hornet exclusion. This parameter optimization ensures that openings are large enough for bees to pass freely but small enough to block larger hornets, maintaining both productivity and reliability simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A Murder Hornet excluder is described. The excluder is made from a mesh that has openings large enough to let both queen and worker bees in and out, but too small to allow the much larger hornets to invade. It has a stepped top, two sides and a bottom that “wrap around” the entrance to a beehive. The stepped top extends the front several inches in front of the opening to the hive to give honeybees a “safe cage”, with adequate room to begin flight and descend after passing through the excluder. In a preferred embodiment, the mesh is between 6 mm and 10 mm on a side.