A container for a nucleus hive of bees is provided including a box having a polygonal shaped bottom and a plurality of side walls. Each one of the plurality of side walls extends upwardly from an edge of the polygonal shaped bottom. A side edge of each side wall is attached to a side edge of an adjacent side wall and upper edges of the side walls form an opening. The opening has an area larger than the area of the polygonal shaped bottom and a shape substantially corresponding to the polygonal shaped bottom. A hive frame support means is positioned on inner wall surfaces of a plurality of the side walls. A polygonal shaped removable lid is configured to rest upon and cover the opening. The box and lid are preferably formed from a rigid commodity grade plastic material.

A honeybee collector includes a collector body having a sidewall with an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines a brood frame slot and a funnel defined below the brood frame slot. The funnel is angled towards a bottom opening defined by a bottom rim of the sidewall. An upper rim of the sidewall defines a top opening leading into the brood frame slot, and the brood frame slot is sized to receive a brood frame. A catch bottle is used for catching bees. A connector couples a mouth of the catch bottle to the bottom rim of the collector body.

A honeybee collector includes a collector body having a sidewall with an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines a brood frame slot and a funnel defined below the brood frame slot. The funnel is angled towards a bottom opening defined by a bottom rim of the sidewall. An upper rim of the sidewall defines a top opening leading into the brood frame slot, and the brood frame slot is sized to receive a brood frame. A catch bottle is used for catching bees. A connector couples a mouth of the catch bottle to the bottom rim of the collector body.

The present disclosure provides a novel queen monitoring cage system comprising a housing having a plurality of holes to provide ventilation, at least one egg laying plate, serving as an inner wall of the cage. The egg laying plate includes a plurality of hexagonal cells, and one or more ports to allow materials to be added to the housing. Additional embodiments of the system provides a removable drawer for the insertion and removal of bees, and inserts to prevent escape of bees while egg laying plates are added and removed. Experimental results show that the queen monitoring cage can be used to study queen egg laying behavior under laboratory controlled conditions.

A set of trays for incubation includes a cover tray and a screened tray. The cover tray has a closed end surrounded by a peripheral sidewall that defines a cavity. The screened tray includes a screened panel surrounded by a containment flange that surrounds and extends outward from a first face of the screened panel, and a support structure that extends outward from a second face of the screened panel opposite the containment flange. The support structure has apertures that permit airflow through the support structure. The containment flange and support structure are sized to engage overlying and underlying trays in alignment and at an angle.

A set of trays for incubation includes a cover tray and a screened tray. The cover tray has a closed end surrounded by a peripheral sidewall that defines a cavity. The screened tray includes a screened panel surrounded by a containment flange that surrounds and extends outward from a first face of the screened panel, and a support structure that extends outward from a second face of the screened panel opposite the containment flange. The support structure has apertures that permit airflow through the support structure. The containment flange and support structure are sized to engage overlying and underlying trays in alignment and at an angle.

A bee transport cage includes an elongated sliding lid, and a cage body with a top opening. A bee, likely the queen honey bee and attendants if desired, are placed within the cage body through an egress door large enough to accept the queen bee. The space within the cage body is a fondant space that the queen bee and/or attendants may consume.

A bee transport cage includes an elongated sliding lid, and a cage body with a top opening. A bee, likely the queen honey bee and attendants if desired, are placed within the cage body through an egress door large enough to accept the queen bee. The space within the cage body is a fondant space that the queen bee and/or attendants may consume.

A heater-equipped man-made beehive incorporates a substantially enclosed hive body having a plurality of joined side walls, a floor, and a top. The hive body defines an entrance sufficient for allowing passage of bees into and from the beehive. A heating element is located inside the hive body adjacent the floor, and is adapted to raise an ambient temperature inside the beehive.

A bee shelter has a base and a collapsible structure. The base has a bottom surface that engages a ground surface and defines a substantially impermeable barrier above the ground surface. The collapsible structure is positioned on the base and has sidewall panels, a roof panel, and living hinges that connect the sidewall panels and the roof panel. The collapsible structure is foldable between a collapsed state and an erected state. In the collapsed state the sidewall panels and the roof panel are in a stack, and in an erected state the sidewall panels and the roof panel define an inner cavity that has an opening defined by the sidewall panels and the roof panel. The inner cavity is sheltered by the roof panel. Each of the base, the side walls, and the roof panel are water impermeable.