Described herein is a bee feeding apparatus having a labyrinthine portal. The apparatus is useful for dispensing water, bee feeding supplements, or treatments to wild or domesticated bees. The circuitous entryway hinders or inhibits other insects such as wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets from entering the innermost regions of the feeder and accessing the bee feeding supplements.

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.

Methods for rearing arthropods, particularly pollinating insects, comprising providing said arthropods with a Wickerhamiella yeast, preferably Wickerhamiella bombiphila yeast, also known as Candida bombiphila, or substances produced thereby, particularly comprised within a food composition, are provided herein. Advantageously, said yeast, particularly food compositions comprising said yeast, when provided to an arthropod, particularly a pollinating insect, improves the fitness, health, behaviour and activity of the arthropod.

Methods for rearing arthropods, particularly pollinating insects, comprising providing said arthropods with a Wickerhamiella yeast, preferably Wickerhamiella bombiphila yeast, also known as Candida bombiphila, or substances produced thereby, particularly comprised within a food composition, are provided herein. Advantageously, said yeast, particularly food compositions comprising said yeast, when provided to an arthropod, particularly a pollinating insect, improves the fitness, health, behaviour and activity of the arthropod.

Systems, devices, and methods for providing a hive top feeder assembly with a feeder housing that can attach and attach to a top of a bee hive box/container, with a downwardly protruding entrance cone with or without locking arms/wings that can attach within an opening in the hive box/container. The feeder housing can have a hollow feeder cone and a sloped ladder to allow bees to climb up and down steps to reach and consume syrup from a syrup reservoir inside the feeder housing, followed by reversing their path to go down to the hive box/container to later make honey.

Systems, devices, and methods for providing a hive top feeder assembly with a feeder housing that can attach and attach to a top of a bee hive box/container, with a downwardly protruding entrance cone with or without locking arms/wings that can attach within an opening in the hive box/container. The feeder housing can have a hollow feeder cone and a sloped ladder to allow bees to climb up and down steps to reach and consume syrup from a syrup reservoir inside the feeder housing, followed by reversing their path to go down to the hive box/container to later make honey.

An automatic unit for one or several beehives for commercial or recreational beekeeping including honey production and pollination services comprises: (a) a plurality of bee frames (honeycomb, brood frames and other bee frames) releasably mounted within at least one hive chamber; (b) a mechanism for removing the bee frames from the hive chamber and inserting the bee frames thereinto; (c) an automated honey harvesting arrangement; (d) an arrangement for monitoring bees conditions, analyzing obtained data and reporting results to a user; and (e) an arrangement for feeding bees, pest and climate control. The mechanism for removing and inserting the bee frames comprises a frame loader linearly displaceable along at least one hive chamber.

An automatic unit for one or several beehives for commercial or recreational beekeeping including honey production and pollination services comprises: (a) a plurality of bee frames (honeycomb, brood frames and other bee frames) releasably mounted within at least one hive chamber; (b) a mechanism for removing the bee frames from the hive chamber and inserting the bee frames thereinto; (c) an automated honey harvesting arrangement; (d) an arrangement for monitoring bees conditions, analyzing obtained data and reporting results to a user; and (e) an arrangement for feeding bees, pest and climate control. The mechanism for removing and inserting the bee frames comprises a frame loader linearly displaceable along at least one hive chamber.

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.