Device for separating parasites

Abstract

A separator device for separating parasites from a population of insects, and a method of separation using such a device, the device comprising a container, a basket configured to be held in the container and provided with a plurality of openings at least through its bottom wall and its side wall, and a lid that is configured to close the container in sealed manner.

Claims

1. A separator device for separating parasites from a population of insects, the separator device comprising: a container; a basket configured to be held in the container and provided with a plurality of openings at least through a bottom wall thereof and a side wall thereof, the basket having a handle extending in an inside space of the basket, the handle extending from the bottom wall of the basket to a distal end, the distal end projects beyond a top edge of the basket, and the distal end is closed, wherein in use the insects with the parasites are to be inserted into the basket, and the openings in the basket are sized to prevent passage of the insects therethrough and permit passage of the parasites therethrough; and a lid configured to close the container in a sealed manner, the lid including at least one bearing surface co-operating with the basket so as to hold the basket against the container and in position inside the container, enabling the basket to remain stationary relative to the container during shaking, wherein when the insects with the parasites are in the basket and the separator device is shaken, the shaking of the separator device causes the parasites to be separated from the insects and pass through the openings while the insects are retained within the basket.

2. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein a gap lies between the bottom wall of the basket and a bottom wall of the container.

3. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein a gap lies between a peripheral wall of the basket and a peripheral wall of the container over at least 50% of a height of the basket.

4. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein the container includes at least one support provided in an inside space of the container for supporting the basket, and each of the at least one bearing surface of the lid and the at least one support of the container co-operate with the basket to hold the basket in position inside the container.

5. The separator device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one support possesses at least one shoulder on which the bottom wall of the basket rests.

6. The separator device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one support is configured to block the basket radially in position.

7. The separator device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one support possesses at least one lateral abutment against which the side wall of the basket rests.

8. The separator device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one support is configured to block the basket radially in position.

9. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein the basket includes a top portion flush with a peripheral wall of the container.

10. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein the container includes a first level line configured to identify a predetermined quantity of a separator substance to be inserted into the container.

11. The separator device according to claim 10, wherein the basket includes a second level line configured to identify a predetermined quantity of the insects to be inserted into the basket.

12. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein at least one wall of the container is transparent, and wherein the basket is made out of an opaque material.

13. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein the basket includes at least one level line configured to identify a predetermined quantity of the insects to be inserted into the basket.

14. The separator device according to claim 1, wherein each of the container and the lid is solid without any openings extending therethrough.

15. A method of separating parasites from a population of insects, the method comprising the following steps: providing a separator device that includes a container, a basket configured to be held in the container and provided with a plurality of openings at least through a bottom wall thereof and a side wall thereof, the openings in the basket are sized to prevent passage of the insects therethrough and permit passage of the parasites therethrough, and a lid that is configured to close the container in a sealed manner, the basket having a handle extending in an inside space of the basket, the handle extending from the bottom wall of the basket to a distal end, the distal end projects beyond a top edge of the basket, the distal end is closed, and the lid including at least one bearing surface co-operating with the basket so as to hold the basket against the container and in position inside the container, enabling the basket to remain stationary relative to the container during shaking; installing the basket in the container and putting the insects with the parasites into the basket; putting a separator substance into the container, the separator substance configured to facilitate separation of the parasites from the insects; closing the container with the lid; and shaking the separator device, wherein the basket remains stationary relative to the container during the shaking, and the shaking of the separator device applies the separator substance onto the insects with the parasites and causes the parasites to be separated from the insects and pass through the openings while the insects are retained within the basket.

16. A separator device for separating parasites from a population of insects, the separator device consisting of: a container including an end wall and a peripheral wall defining an inside space, an open end opposite the end wall, and a plurality of supports within the inside space and extending along the peripheral wall; the peripheral wall including threads adjacent to the open end; a basket configured to be held in the inside space of the container in engagement with the plurality of supports, the basket having an open end and provided with a plurality of openings at least through an end wall thereof and a side wall thereof, the basket including a handle that extends in an inside space of the basket, the handle extending from the end wall of the basket to a distal end, the distal end projects beyond an edge of the basket that defines the open end of the basket, and the distal end is closed, wherein in use the insects with the parasites are to be inserted into the basket, and the openings in the basket are sized to prevent passage of the insects therethrough and permit passage of the parasites therethrough; and a lid that includes threads that are engageable with the threads on the peripheral wall of the container so that the lid can be screwed onto the container and close the open end of the container in a sealed manner, the lid including at least one bearing surface, each of the at least one bearing surface of the lid and the plurality of supports of the container co-operate with the basket to hold the basket in position within the inside space of the container, enabling the basket to remain stationary relative to the container during shaking.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings are diagrammatic and seek above all to illustrate the principles of the invention.

(2) In the drawings, from one figure to another, elements or portions of an element that are identical are identified by the same reference signs.

(3) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example separator device.

(4) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the FIG. 1 separator device.

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective view in section of the FIG. 1 separator device.

(6) FIG. 4 is an axial section view of the FIG. 1 separator device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

(7) In order to make the invention more concrete, an embodiment of a separator device is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be recalled that the invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(8) The separator device 1 comprises a container 10, a basket 30 received in the container 10, and a lid 50 closing the container 10.

(9) The container 10 is generally cylindrical in shape about an axis A and it has a diameter of about 10 cm and a height of about 10 cm: it possesses a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12 defining an inside space 13.

(10) The container 10 also has L-shaped supports 14 extending axially inside the inside space 13 along the peripheral wall 12 from the bottom wall 11. Each of these supports 14 has a shoulder 14a lying in a radial plane and a lateral abutment 14b extending in a sub-vertical direction, sloping a little relative to the central axis A.

(11) In the present example, the container 10 has five identical supports 14 distributed in regular manner around the axis A, i.e. at 72 intervals. Furthermore, the shoulders 14a are situated about 2 cm above the bottom 11 of the container 10.

(12) The container 10 also has a level line 15 on its peripheral wall 12, which line may be etched, drawn, or made in relief. In the present example, the level line 15 is about 7 cm above the bottom 11 of the container 10.

(13) Threads 16 are provided at the top of the peripheral wall 11 of the container 10, on its outside surface, so as to enable the lid 50 to be screwed onto the top of the container 10. An annular shoulder 17 is also provided below the threads 16 so as to form an axial abutment for the lid 50.

(14) In the present embodiment, the container 10 is made of transparent plastics material and is obtained as a single piece by injection molding.

(15) The basket 30 is generally frustoconical in shape about the axis A having a height of about 8 cm and a diameter that goes from about 8 cm at its bottom end to about 10 cm at its top end; it possesses a bottom wall 31 and a peripheral wall 32 defining an inside space 33.

(16) The basket 30 also has a central tubular handle 34 extending along the axis A from the bottom wall 31 so as to project a few millimeters beyond the top border 35 of the peripheral wall 32 of the basket 30.

(17) The peripheral wall 32 has a frustoconical top portion 32a that, in this embodiment, forms an angle of about 40 relative to the axis A, and a bottom portion 32b that is frustoconical and that, in this embodiment, forms an angle of about 5 with the axis A.

(18) The bottom wall 31 of the basket 30 has a plurality of circular holes 36 distributed over the entire available surface area of the bottom wall 31. The bottom portion 32b of the peripheral wall 32 of the basket 30 is also provided with holes 36 that are distributed in two facing zones, each covering practically an entire half of the bottom portion 32b of the peripheral wall 32.

(19) In the present description, the holes 36 have a diameter of about 3 mm, and they are installed in a hexagonal mesh with a mesh parameter of about 5 mm.

(20) The basket 30 also has a plurality of level lines 37a, 37b that are etched, drawn, or formed in relief on its peripheral wall 32. In the present embodiment, a first level line 37a lies at about 17 mm above the bottom 31 of the basket 30 and corresponds to a volume of approximately 200 bees, and a second level line 37b lies about 25 mm above the bottom 31 of the basket 30, and corresponds to a volume of about 300 bees.

(21) When the basket 30 is installed in the container 10, the bottom wall 31 of the basket 30 rests on the shoulders 14a of the supports 14 of the container 10 so that there is an axial distance of about 2 cm between the bottom wall 31 of the basket 30 and the bottom 11 of the container 10. Furthermore, the bottom portion 32b of the peripheral wall 32 of the basket is flush with the lateral abutments 14b of the supports 14 so that a radial distance of at least 3 mm lies between the peripheral wall 32 of the basket 30 and the peripheral wall 12 of the container 10, at least along the bottom portion 32b of the peripheral wall 32 of the basket 30. The top portion 32a of the peripheral wall 32 of the basket 30 is flush with the peripheral wall 12 of the container 10 at the level of the top border 35 of the basket 30.

(22) In the present embodiment, the basket 30 is made of white plastics material that is obtained as a single piece by injection molding.

(23) The lid 50 is generally frustoconical in shape about the axis A having a height of about 5 cm and a diameter lying approximately in the range 8 cm to 10 cm; it possesses a top wall 51 and a peripheral wall 52.

(24) Threads 54 are provided at the base of the peripheral wall 52 of the lid 50 on its inside surface, and they are configured to co-operate with threads 16 of the container 10.

(25) The lid 50 also has a skirt 55 extending axially downwards from the inside surface of the peripheral wall 52 and configured to bear against the top border 35 of the basket 30 when the lid 50 is screwed onto the container 10. Consequently, once the lid 50 has been screwed onto the container 10, the basket 30 is prevented from moving inside the separator device 1.

(26) The dimensions of the lid 50 match the dimensions of the container 10, particularly concerning the threads 16 and 54 so as to ensure that the separator device 1 is sealed when the lid 50 is screwed onto the container 10; the skirt 55 of the lid 50 and the shoulder 17 of the container also assist in improving such sealing. Nevertheless, in certain examples, it is possible to add an O-ring in the bottom of the groove 56 that is formed between the skirt 55 and the peripheral wall 52 of the lid 50 to further improve such sealing.

(27) The operation of the separator device 1 is explained below in the context of a description of an implementation of the method of separating varroas from a sample of bees taken from a hive in which it is desired to estimate the level of infestation.

(28) The basket 30 is initially installed in the container 10: because of the supports 14, the basket 30 is held in stable manner inside the container 10. Bees are then taken from a frame of a hive by brushing the backs of the bees downwards, thereby causing the bees to drop into the basket 30. Bees continue to be taken until the level of bees reaches the second level line 37b of the basket 30 that corresponds to a quantity of approximately 300 bees. Most of the bees taken from the frame are not foragers and do not fly: they therefore cannot escape from the basket 30.

(29) A separator liquid, e.g. windshield washer including antifreeze, is then added to the container 10 through the basket 30 and the bees so as to reach the level line 15 of the container 10. This separator liquid serves to degrease the medium, and in particular the legs of the varroas, thus making it easier to separate the varroas. The separator liquid may also put the varroas to sleep or even kill them, so that they relax their grip and separate from the bees.

(30) In a variant implementation, some or indeed all of the separator liquid may be put into place in the container before the operation of taking bees. Specifically, this makes it possible while taking the bees to shake the container vertically a few times so as to wet the bees and thus prevent them from moving easily. It is also possible to bang the container downwards onto a firm support: any bees attempting to climb up the walls then let go and drop to the bottom of the basket, making the collection operation easier. Once enough bees have been taken, it is possible to fill the container with separator liquid up to the desired level, while reducing any risk of bees escaping in the interim.

(31) The lid 50 is then screwed firmly onto the container 10: the skirt 55 of the lid 50 then presses against the top border 35 of the basket 30 so as to hold the basket 30 in position inside the separator device 1.

(32) The separator device 1 can then be shaken vigorously, and then more gently, downwards along the axial direction A for a duration of about 30 seconds (s). During this shaking, most of the varroas that are present become separated from the bees, and the flow of separator liquid sweeps them through the holes 36 in the basket 30 so that they drop onto the bottom of the container 10. It is also possible to perform circular swirling movements, with the holes through the peripheral wall of the basket then also serving to separate varroas.

(33) The varroas that have dropped to the bottom of the container 10 can then be counted in order to evaluate the level of infestation of the sample, and on that basis, evaluate the level of infestation of the hive.

(34) A second cycle of shaking followed by taking a second reading may optionally be undertaken in order to improve the accuracy of the test, on the assumption that some of the varroas might not be separated on the first occasion.

(35) Once the test has been finished, the lid 50 is removed and the basket 30 can be gripped by means of its handle 34 in order to remove the bees; the container 10 is then likewise emptied. The separator device 1 can then be used again in order to test another population of bees, e.g. coming from another hive.

(36) Although the present invention is described with reference to specific embodiments, it is clear that modifications and changes may be undertaken on these embodiments without going beyond the general ambit of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, individual characteristics of the various embodiments shown and/or mentioned may be combined in additional embodiments. Consequently, the description and the drawings should be considered in a sense that is illustrative rather than restrictive.

(37) It is also clear that all of the characteristics described with reference to the method can be transposed, singly or in combination, to a device, and vice versa, all of the characteristics described with reference to a device can be transposed, singly, or in combination, to a method.