HYGIENIC HONEY BEE BOTTOM BOARD

Fecha de publicación: 17/11/2016
Fuente: WIPO "beekeeper"
A hygienic honey bee bottom board, hives employing the same, and methods related to the same are provided. The hygienic honey bee bottom board effectively diminishes small hive beetles in a bee hive without significant pollen loss. The invention has a solid bottom board platform with screened receptacles. Hygienically inclined bees instinctively chase small hive beetles into the screened receptacles in an effort to clean the hive. The small hive beetles fall through the screened receptacles into a beetle trap disposed below the bottom board receptacles and are thus removed from the hive with minimal disturbance of the hive. The screened receptacles of the hygienic honey bee bottom board comprise only a limited area of the otherwise solid bottom board platform. This allows worker bees to retrieve substantial amounts of pollen dropped onto the solid bottom board platform for use as foodstuff.