An artificial honeycomb for use in a beehive and which enables honey to be removed froth the honey-comb without removing the honeycomb from the hive; the honeycomb comprising cells and being formed of at least two parts which are moveable relative to each other between a cell formed position where the cells comprise side walls and an end wall to enable bees to fill the cell with honey, and a cell open position where at least some of the said walls have moved apart, whereby honey in the cells can be removed from the honeycomb by movement of the at least two parts to the cell open position.

A collapsible beehive assembly is comprised of a bottom assembly having a plurality of collapsible boxes stacked thereon. Each of the plurality of collapsible boxes is configured to house a plurality of beehive frames. Each of the plurality of collapsible boxes is further configured to receive one or more insulation components to winterize the collapsible beehive assembly. An inner cover is positioned on top of the plurality of collapsible boxes and a hive cover positioned on top of the inner cover to enclose the beehive frames within the collapsible boxes. A weight is positioned on top of the hive cover to retain the hive cover in a suitable position.

A collapsible beehive assembly is comprised of a bottom assembly having a plurality of collapsible boxes stacked thereon. Each of the plurality of collapsible boxes is configured to house a plurality of beehive frames. Each of the plurality of collapsible boxes is further configured to receive one or more insulation components to winterize the collapsible beehive assembly. An inner cover is positioned on top of the plurality of collapsible boxes and a hive cover positioned on top of the inner cover to enclose the beehive frames within the collapsible boxes. A weight is positioned on top of the hive cover to retain the hive cover in a suitable position.

A hive supporting apparatus for supporting elements of a hive may include a housing assembly having an interior space for accommodating at least one comb and having a housing segment with a perimeter wall having an interior surface about a portion of the interior space. The perimeter wall may include a plurality of wall portions each having a wall portion surface forming a portion of the interior surface and having a primary plane. A section of the interior surface of the perimeter wall may have a propolis-encouraging feature located on at least one of the wall portions of the perimeter wall. The propolis-supporting surface section may have a contour which extends out of the primary plane of the wall portion surface of the respective wall portion.

TABLE-US-00001 Index of Elements for HIVE STRUCTURE WITH FEATURE FACILITATING PROPOLIS ACCUMULATION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Hive supporting apparatus 11. 12. Housing assembly 13. 14. Interior space of assembly 12 15. 16. Top of assembly 12 17. Bottom of assembly 12 18. Top opening of assembly 12 19. 20. (first) Housing segment of assembly 12 21. 22. (second) Housing segment-assembly 12 23. 24. Upper opening of segment 20 25. 26. Lower opening of segment 20 27. 28. 29. 30. Perimeter wall of segment 20 31. 32. Interior surface of wall 30 33. 34. (first) Wall portion of wall 30 35. 36. (second) Wall portion of wall 30 37. 38. (third) Wall portion of wall 30 39. 40. (fourth) Wall portion of wall 30 41. 42. Wall portion surface of segment 34 43. 44. Primary plane of surface 42 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. (contoured) Section of surface 50 51. 52. Propolis-encouraging feature 53. 54. Contour of feature 52 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. Perimeter frame-apparatus 10 61. 62. (first) Support tab of frame 60 63. 64. (second) Support tab of frame 60 65. 66. Opening of frame 60 67. 68. Comb supportive member of frame 60 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

A hive supporting apparatus for supporting elements of a hive may include a housing assembly having an interior space for accommodating at least one comb and having a housing segment with a perimeter wall having an interior surface about a portion of the interior space. The perimeter wall may include a plurality of wall portions each having a wall portion surface forming a portion of the interior surface and having a primary plane. A section of the interior surface of the perimeter wall may have a propolis-encouraging feature located on at least one of the wall portions of the perimeter wall. The propolis-supporting surface section may have a contour which extends out of the primary plane of the wall portion surface of the respective wall portion.

TABLE-US-00001 Index of Elements for HIVE STRUCTURE WITH FEATURE FACILITATING PROPOLIS ACCUMULATION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Hive supporting apparatus 11. 12. Housing assembly 13. 14. Interior space of assembly 12 15. 16. Top of assembly 12 17. Bottom of assembly 12 18. Top opening of assembly 12 19. 20. (first) Housing segment of assembly 12 21. 22. (second) Housing segment-assembly 12 23. 24. Upper opening of segment 20 25. 26. Lower opening of segment 20 27. 28. 29. 30. Perimeter wall of segment 20 31. 32. Interior surface of wall 30 33. 34. (first) Wall portion of wall 30 35. 36. (second) Wall portion of wall 30 37. 38. (third) Wall portion of wall 30 39. 40. (fourth) Wall portion of wall 30 41. 42. Wall portion surface of segment 34 43. 44. Primary plane of surface 42 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. (contoured) Section of surface 50 51. 52. Propolis-encouraging feature 53. 54. Contour of feature 52 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. Perimeter frame-apparatus 10 61. 62. (first) Support tab of frame 60 63. 64. (second) Support tab of frame 60 65. 66. Opening of frame 60 67. 68. Comb supportive member of frame 60 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

A hive supporting apparatus for supporting elements of a hive may include a housing assembly having an interior space for accommodating at least one comb and having a housing segment with a perimeter wall having an interior surface about a portion of the interior space. The perimeter wall may include a plurality of wall portions each having a wall portion surface forming a portion of the interior surface and having a primary plane. A section of the interior surface of the perimeter wall may have a propolis-encouraging feature located on at least one of the wall portions of the perimeter wall. The propolis-supporting surface section may have a contour which extends out of the primary plane of the wall portion surface of the respective wall portion.

A hive supporting apparatus for supporting elements of a hive may include a housing assembly having an interior space for accommodating at least one comb and having a housing segment with a perimeter wall having an interior surface about a portion of the interior space. The perimeter wall may include a plurality of wall portions each having a wall portion surface forming a portion of the interior surface and having a primary plane. A section of the interior surface of the perimeter wall may have a propolis-encouraging feature located on at least one of the wall portions of the perimeter wall. The propolis-supporting surface section may have a contour which extends out of the primary plane of the wall portion surface of the respective wall portion.

An artificially-created honey-yielding environment is established, including a hive and an associated flora cell, within which first and second plant populations cohabit. Within the cell, honey-producing insects from the hive are permitted to forage. One of the populations has been artificially introduced. The other may be indigenous to the cell. The first plant population serves as a primary source of nectar which yields bioactive honey and the second serves as a source of a nutrient, such as protein, which is not abundantly available from the first species at a nutritionally adequate level for sustaining the metabolism and energy of the foraging honey-producing insects for returning to the hive. The first flora population may be a Leptospermum species. An example of the second is Corymbia maculata.

An artificially-created honey-yielding environment is established, including a hive and an associated flora cell, within which first and second plant populations cohabit. Within the cell, honey-producing insects from the hive are permitted to forage. One of the populations has been artificially introduced. The other may be indigenous to the cell. The first plant population serves as a primary source of nectar which yields bioactive honey and the second serves as a source of a nutrient, such as protein, which is not abundantly available from the first species at a nutritionally adequate level for sustaining the metabolism and energy of the foraging honey-producing insects for returning to the hive. The first flora population may be a Leptospermum species. An example of the second is Corymbia maculata.

The description relates to the discovery that the use of a bypass device for enabling bees to better survive winter in a hive containing a plurality of honey combs containing honey. In one aspect the device provides a passageway formed of two parallel planar surfaces defining an opening through a honey comb or support. The structural element is used in a bee hive to define a passage communicating from one face of a honey comb to an opposed face to better enable bees to survive winter on a limited supply of honey.