A replaceable tray for inserting into an exit path of a bee hive includes: (a) a tray body having a base and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the base and surrounding a periphery of the base, the base and the at least one side wall defining an interior of the tray body, and the at least one side wall having an upper end defining an upper rim of the tray body; (b) a removable top bonded to the upper rim for sealing the interior of the tray body; and (c) a powdered plant treatment agent in the interior of the tray body and supported on the base when the tray body is upright.

A system including: a plurality of bee frames releasably mounted within at least one hive chamber; a mechanism that extracts a bee frame from a hive chamber and inserts a bee frame into a hive chamber; an imaging system that acquires an image of a frame; and a processing unit which: determines, based on processing the image, the specific content of each of a plurality of cells in the frame, and predicts a possibility of swarming based on identifying, in the image, at least one cell including a queen larva.

A system including: a plurality of bee frames releasably mounted within at least one hive chamber; a mechanism that extracts a bee frame from a hive chamber and inserts a bee frame into a hive chamber; an imaging system that acquires an image of a frame; and a processing unit which: determines, based on processing the image, the specific content of each of a plurality of cells in the frame, and predicts a possibility of swarming based on identifying, in the image, at least one cell including a queen larva.

The present invention relates to a rational hive structure (1) comprising a nest comb box (2) delimiting a brood chamber for bees; a top cover (4) located in an upper portion of the hive structure to close an upper access to the hive structure; a lower closure element (5) located in a lower portion of the hive structure to close a bottom access to the hive structure; and a plurality of comb frames (6) in the form of substantially flat bodies extending in a main plane. Each comb frame includes peripheral element or bars (7) delimiting an inner comb area (8), wherein the inner comb area (8) has an overall dimension of at least 15 dm.sup.2.

A miticidal beehive entranceway is provided having a solid substrate coated with a thymol-containing composition and having holes dimensioned to compel bees entering/exiting the beehive to walk through the holes and contact the thymol-containing composition, thereby exposing mites attached to the bee to a killing dose of thymol while not injuring the bee. In some embodiments, the entranceway may have agitating bristles (which may be coated with thymol) extending into the entranceway, which contact the body of the bee to agitate or dislodge the mites attached to the bee, further enhancing mite removal or death.

A miticidal beehive entranceway is provided having a solid substrate coated with a thymol-containing composition and having holes dimensioned to compel bees entering/exiting the beehive to walk through the holes and contact the thymol-containing composition, thereby exposing mites attached to the bee to a killing dose of thymol while not injuring the bee. In some embodiments, the entranceway may have agitating bristles (which may be coated with thymol) extending into the entranceway, which contact the body of the bee to agitate or dislodge the mites attached to the bee, further enhancing mite removal or death.

The present specification discloses a beehive comprising (i) an exterior wall, (ii) a hive interior, and (iii) an entrance through the wall that allows access and egress of bees to and from the hive interior. A beehive disclosed herein can further comprise (iv) a beehive entrance tunnel having a proximal entrance end at the hive entrance and a distal exit end that extends into the hive interior. In operation, the bees enter the beehive by proceeding along the tunnel; wherein in use of the hive the tunnel is sufficiently elongated that when host bees are present invading pests, e.g. bees or wasps, entering the beehive via the tunnel encounter host bees in the tunnel resulting in attacks in the tunnel by host bees on the invading bees or wasps. Existing hives are modified so as to have such an entrance tunnel.

The present specification discloses a beehive comprising (i) an exterior wall, (ii) a hive interior, and (iii) an entrance through the wall that allows access and egress of bees to and from the hive interior. A beehive disclosed herein can further comprise (iv) a beehive entrance tunnel having a proximal entrance end at the hive entrance and a distal exit end that extends into the hive interior. In operation, the bees enter the beehive by proceeding along the tunnel; wherein in use of the hive the tunnel is sufficiently elongated that when host bees are present invading pests, e.g. bees or wasps, entering the beehive via the tunnel encounter host bees in the tunnel resulting in attacks in the tunnel by host bees on the invading bees or wasps. Existing hives are modified so as to have such an entrance tunnel.

Monitoring system, device and method for detecting chemicals in an insect environment, such as a beehive or colony. The method can include monitoring the insect environment for the presence or absence of at least one chemical or environmental factor using at least one sensor located within the insect environment, the at least one sensor operative to generate data in response to the presence or absence of at least one chemical or factor in the environment and communicate the data to an associated data processing device, monitoring a population of insects in the insect environment to detect a change in the population or health of insects that make up the population, and generating a correlation between a detected change in the population or health of insects in the insect environment with an increase or decrease of the at least one chemical outside the insect environment.

Monitoring system, device and method for detecting chemicals in an insect environment, such as a beehive or colony. The method can include monitoring the insect environment for the presence or absence of at least one chemical or environmental factor using at least one sensor located within the insect environment, the at least one sensor operative to generate data in response to the presence or absence of at least one chemical or factor in the environment and communicate the data to an associated data processing device, monitoring a population of insects in the insect environment to detect a change in the population or health of insects that make up the population, and generating a correlation between a detected change in the population or health of insects in the insect environment with an increase or decrease of the at least one chemical outside the insect environment.