Beehives, beehive comb frames, and methods of for keeping honey bees are provided. The beehives include a housing; at least one enclosure in the housing having a top, a bottom, and sides; at least one elongated rod extending horizontally between two of the sides of the at least one enclosure; and a plurality of comb frames adapted to receive honeycomb, each of the plurality of comb frames having a mounting mechanism, for example, a hook, adapted to releasably engage the at least one elongated rod. The beehive comb frames include a top bar; two side pieces extending from opposing ends of the top bar; and at least one mounting mechanism, such as, a hook, attached to the top bar, the mounting mechanism adapted to releasably engage a hive enclosure. The beehives and comb frames are uniquely adapted to facilitate maintenance of the hives and the harvesting of honey.

A container for a nucleus hive of bees 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 container for a nucleus hive of bees 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 Murder Hornet excluder is described. The excluder is made from a mesh that has openings large enough to let both queen and worker bees in and out, but too small to allow the much larger hornets to invade. It has a stepped top, two sides and a bottom that “wrap around” the entrance to a beehive. The stepped top extends the front several inches in front of the opening to the hive to give honeybees a “safe cage”, with adequate room to begin flight and descend after passing through the excluder. In a preferred embodiment, the mesh is between 6 mm and 10 mm on a side.

A Murder Hornet excluder is described. The excluder is made from a mesh that has openings large enough to let both queen and worker bees in and out, but too small to allow the much larger hornets to invade. It has a stepped top, two sides and a bottom that “wrap around” the entrance to a beehive. The stepped top extends the front several inches in front of the opening to the hive to give honeybees a “safe cage”, with adequate room to begin flight and descend after passing through the excluder. In a preferred embodiment, the mesh is between 6 mm and 10 mm on a side.

An insulated honeybee hive assembly with an integrated monitoring system, the system including software and wiring contained in a wall assembly of the modular hive. The system includes sensors and other device(s) for monitoring temperature, humidity, weight, geographical location, and power generation of the hive. The system also includes a video and/or audio component, with connectivity to remote server(s), that allows for remote data collection, video and/or audio analysis and can provide hive command(s) such as heat treatments, ventilation, and similar. Sensors, wiring, buses, and other hardware are confined within the wall assemblies of the hive box and connect to one another once stacked upon each other.

An insulated honeybee hive assembly with an integrated monitoring system, the system including software and wiring contained in a wall assembly of the modular hive. The system includes sensors and other device(s) for monitoring temperature, humidity, weight, geographical location, and power generation of the hive. The system also includes a video and/or audio component, with connectivity to remote server(s), that allows for remote data collection, video and/or audio analysis and can provide hive command(s) such as heat treatments, ventilation, and similar. Sensors, wiring, buses, and other hardware are confined within the wall assemblies of the hive box and connect to one another once stacked upon each other.

A beeswax foundation system for use in a beehive. The beeswax foundation system allows for easy access to and removal of the honeycomb from the hive without damaging the honeycomb. A first and second plastic frame members are mated together retaining a removable beeswax foundation within. A snap lock component holds the first and second plastic frame members in place. The snap lock component is unlocked to separate the first and second plastic frame members to access the removable beeswax foundation. The unlocked first and second plastic frame members are then reusable with a new removable beeswax foundation once cleaned.

A beeswax foundation system for use in a beehive. The beeswax foundation system allows for easy access to and removal of the honeycomb from the hive without damaging the honeycomb. A first and second plastic frame members are mated together retaining a removable beeswax foundation within. A snap lock component holds the first and second plastic frame members in place. The snap lock component is unlocked to separate the first and second plastic frame members to access the removable beeswax foundation. The unlocked first and second plastic frame members are then reusable with a new removable beeswax foundation once cleaned.

The invention relates to an arrangement (6) for controlling an entrance hole (2) of a beehive (1) of a beehive with bees, comprising a closure element (11) for at least partially closing the entrance hole (2).

According to the invention, the arrangement (6) comprises at least one identification unit (5) arrangeable or arranged on a queen bee (4), a reading unit (7) for reading out the at least one identification unit (5), wherein the reading unit (7) or at least one antenna unit (8) of the reading unit (7) is arrangeable or arranged at the entrance hole (2), and an actuation unit (12), in particular coupled with the reading unit (7), for actuating the closure element (11).

Moreover, the invention relates to a method for controlling an entrance hole (2) of a beehive (1).