Reference number  
DRS 159: 2018  
© RSB 2018  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
159 
 
2nd edition  
Published by 2018 -mm-dd 
(Reaffirmed 2018 ) 
Packaged bee box  — Specification   
 
  DRS 159: 201 8 
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2018 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be a ddressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw   
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS: 159: 201 8 
iii                ©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Term s and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 General  requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.1 Dimensions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  2 
4.1.1  Size of the package bee boxes and the queen  cage  ................................ ................................ ..........  2 
4.1.2  Joints  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  2 
5 Packing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
6 Marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
 DRS 159: 201 8 
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB,  in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards. Final Draft Rwanda Standards 
adopted by Technical committees are ratified by members of RSB Board of Directors for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
RS 159 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 027, Beekeeping and beekeeping products , 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the followi ng standard  
1) KS 666 -2010, Package Bee Box — Specification  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Beekeeping and beekeeping 
products (RSB/TC 027) in the preparation of this standard.  DRS: 159: 201 8 
v                ©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved  
 Introduction   
Beekeeping  in modem  hives  is practiced  wherever  suitable  flora is available.  The main  object  of rearing  honey 
bees is to get honey from them. Beeswax is also a product as a subsidiary income. The bees depend upon 
the flowers of forest and agro -horticultural  crops.  
It has been  proved  beyond  doubt  that cross  pollination  in agro-horticultural  crops  increases  the yield many  fold 
and the honey bees are very effective for cross pollination. Therefore, the demand for the bee colonies from 
the beekeepers  for honey  and wax production  and from the farmers  to effectively  cross  pollinate  their crops  is 
increasing  day by day. It is not possible  to get the colonies  everywhere  and anywhere  as per the requirements 
of the beekeepers and farmers. Therefore, standardization of a simple box to transport the bee colonies from 
one place to another has become a  necessity.  
This process of transporting bee colonies with the hives involves heavy expenditure. Secondly, the bee 
breeders or the beekeepers who want to sell their bee colon ies cannot afford to sell them along with the 
frames and hives every time. Similarly, a beekeeper or an orchard owner who desire to purchase bee colony 
cannot afford to pay for the frames and hives also every time. In order to save unnecessary transport of bee 
boxes to and from every time it is economical for both the buyer and seller of bee colonies to have a simple 
and cheap package bee box to transport a queen with few thousands of worker bees from one place to 
another.  Such  package  bees  are used  in making the colonies  strong  during  honey  flow season  for augmenting 
the number  of colonies  and also for keeping  the bees  wherever  they are required  to effect  bee pollination.  This 
standard has been drawn up giving due consideration to all these  points.  
 DRS 159: 2018  
1                ©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved  
 Packaged bee box — Specification  
1 Scope  
This standard specifies the dimensions and other requirements of package bee boxes.  
These boxes are designed in such a way so as to carry only a queen and cluster of honeybees from one place 
to another, providing adequate ventilation, food and protection.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text  in such a way that some or all of  their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 23, Timber — Dimensions for coniferous sawn timber (cypress and pine) sizes of sawn and planed 
timber — Specification.  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply,  
3.1 
Package bee box  
It is a rectangu lar box of six sides of which two sides are fitted with thin bee proof wire gauze and the rest of 
the four sides are covered with wooden planks of 12 mm thickness. The joints of the planks are nailed 
together firmly. On the top plank there is a round hole to accommodate a tin of feeder and a slit to 
accommodate a queen cage. Funnel  is used for shaking bees into the transportation cage. The funnel shall be 
of 20 cm to 25 cm diameter  
3.2 
Feeder can  
Can is filled with 50:50 sugar syrup and lid is sealed with c an sealer. Feeder can is inserted into the hole in 
the top of the cage arid rests on a cross bar supported a1 each end to form a 'H' shaped -support, nailed 
across the middle of the cage to the cage bottom  
3.3 
queen cage  
It is a small cage used to confine the queen along with few workers in the package bee box for her protection 
while on transit and easy to locate while transferring the bees lo regular hives. After filling the shipping cage, 
the caged queen is hung by a me tal tab attached near one end of the queen cage which is inserted in a spot  
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  2 
 in the top of the package age and is bent over to secure the queen cage near the feed can. The feed can is 
then dropped into place.  
4 General  requirements  
4.1 Dimensions  
All dimensions stated in this specification shall be regarded as finished dimensions and shall be measured 
after compilation of finished operations such as planning and sand papering . 
4.1.1  Size of the package bee boxes and the queen  cage  
4.1.1  Depending upon the strength of t he colony i.e. the number of bees along with queen to be transported, 
the size of the bees and the climatic condition of the locality, the following two sizes can be used. Box of 
smaller size 25 cm x 15 cm x 20 cm (L x B x H) and a slightly bigger size 35 cm x 15 cm x 20 cm. These sizes 
will provide adequate ventilation to the bees according to their size and strength. Size of Package Bee Boxes 
will be as follows:  
a) 25 cm x 15 cm x 10 cm for bees ( A. cerana ) for 1 kg package  bees;  
b) 35 cm x 15cm x 20 cm for bee s (A. cerana ) for 1 kg package  bees;  
c) 30 cm x 15 cm x 22 cm for A. mellifea fo r 1 kg package  bees;  
d) 40 cm x 15 cm x  22 cm for A. mellifera  for 1.5 kg  package bees;  and 
e) 40 cm x 15 cm x 26 cm for A. mellifera for 2 .kg package  bees.  
4.1.2  The different parts of the package bee box particularly wooden surfaces shall have a smooth finish with 
the edges trimmed square and smooth. The outer side of the wooden planks shall be painted with a suitable 
paint for protection and long lasting of the box. The paint shall be non-toxic and shall not have any odour 
disagreeable to the bees. The colour of the paint may be of any  choice.  
4.1.2  Joints  
All joints shall be sound and shall withstand normal use and transport. Joints of the walls shall be joined by 
slabbed joint firmly  
4.2 Wire  gauze  
4.2.1  The wire gauze used for the two sides be of the galvanized mild steel of 5 wires per cm and shall be 
suitab ly annexed with side walls by hails.  
4.2.2  Unless specified otherwise the thickness of the wooden planks used shall be 12 mm. It shall be of well-
seasoned  timber (see EAS 23.)  DRS 159: 2018  
3                ©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved  
 5  Packing  
The package  bee box  shall  be supplied  in a complete  form properly  assem bled or in separate  parts  as agreed 
to between the purchaser and the vendor. It shall be packed in such a way so as to protect the wooden as 
well as iron parts  from damage  in transit  and during storage.  
6 Marking  
Package  bee box shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following:  
a) name of the part and its  size; 
b) registered trade mark, if  any; 
c) batch or code  number;  
d) name of the manufacturer;  and 
e) date of manufacture.  
  
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  4 
 Bibliography  
[1] Codex   Alimentarius   website: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/mrls/pestdes/jsp/pest_q -e.jsp 
[2] USDA  Agricultural  Marketing  Service  website:  http:// www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/Standards  
[3] USDA Plant Inspectorate Service website:  http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants  
[4] European Union:  http://ec.europa.eu/sanco_pesticides/public  
[5] USDA Foreign Agricultural Service website:  http://www.mrldatabase.com  
 DRS 159: 2018  
ICS 67.020 
 
 
©RSB 2018  - All right s reserved