Abstract:
A bee nucleus enclosure is formed with a tray and a cover positioned on top of the tray. The tray includes an aperture through which bees can exit and enter the enclosure. The size and shape of the enclosure is such that once a colony of a suitable maturity has developed within the enclosure the entire colony can be transferred to a bee house/box to enable the colony to populate the bee house/box.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/338,645, filed on May 19, 2016, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to insect/bee farming or husbandry and more particularly to an enclosure for bee husbandry. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In insect/bee farming or husbandry, the types of enclosure in which the bees are allowed to grow or be transferred is important for proper care of the bees and for the harvesting of the honeycombs from the enclosure. 
         [0004]    However, while mature bee colonies can be placed in standard bee hive houses/boxes, in order to grow into a sustainable colony it is necessary to incubate the bee colony in a smaller enclosure. Once the colony has matured sufficiently it can be placed within the standard bee hive box. Further, if the new colony is grown in a larger hive, an appropriate transfer container is necessary. 
         [0005]    Prior art enclosures have certain deficiencies that limit the effectiveness of these enclosures as bee colony incubators for a top bar hive application. Thus, it is desirable to develop an enclosure for the incubation of a bee colony that can overcome the problems associated with prior art enclosures. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a bee incubation/transfer enclosure or nucleus box/hive is formed with a tray and a cover positioned on top of the tray. The tray includes an aperture through which bees can exit and enter the enclosure. The size and shape of the enclosure is such that once a colony of a suitable maturity has developed within the enclosure the colony can be transferred to a bee house/box to enable the colony to populate the bee house/box. 
         [0007]    According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the components of the incubation enclosure/nucleus box are each formed of a blank of a lightweight and readily formable material that can be readily erected into the component for ease of manufacture, transport and erection of the incubation/transfer enclosure. 
         [0008]    Numerous other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description together with the drawings figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention. 
           [0010]    In the drawings: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of a top bar incubation enclosure constructed according to the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a partially broken away perspective view of the enclosure of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of one exemplary embodiment of a blank from which the cover of the enclosure of  FIG. 1  is constructed; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of one exemplary embodiment of a blank from which the tray of the enclosure of  FIG. 1  is constructed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring now in detail to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  a bee incubation/transfer enclosure or nucleus box is illustrated generally at  10 . The enclosure includes a tray  12  and a cover  14  disposed over an open upper end  16  of the tray  14 . 
         [0016]    Looking now at  FIGS. 1-3 , the tray  14  is formed from a blank  18  of a suitable material, such as a corrugated material formed of paperboard or plastic. The blank  18  includes a bottom  20  and a pair of side panels  22 , 24  extending outwardly from each side of the bottom  20 . The side panels  22 , 24  each include an inner portion  26  joined at a hinge  28  to the bottom  20  and an outer portion  30  joined to the inner portion  26  via hinge  32 . The inner portion  26  and outer portion  30  are formed with mirror image shapes, such that the inner portion  26  and outer portion  30  can form the dual thickness side panel  22 , 24  when folded towards the bottom  20 . The outer portion  30  includes a locking tab  34  opposite the hinge  32  that is engaged within a corresponding slot  36  formed in the bottom  20  in order to secured the outer portion  30  to the bottom  20  when the side panels  22 , 24  are formed. 
         [0017]    The tray  14  also includes a pair of end panels  34 , 36  connected to the bottom  20  and disposed between the side panels  22 , 24 . The end panels  34 , 36  are also formed with an inner portion  38  and an outer portion  40  that are connected to one another to be folded to form a dual thickness end panel  34 , 36 . 
         [0018]    To hold the end panels  34 , 36  in the folded configuration, a pair of locking panels  42 , 44  are disposed on each inner portion  26  of the side panels  22 , 24 . After folding the end panels  34 , 36  inwardly towards the bottom  20 , when the side panels  22 , 24  are folded towards the bottom  20 , the locking panels  42 , 44  are placed in an overlapping configuration against the outer surfaces of the end panels  34 , 36 . In this position, a locking tab  46  on locking panel  42  can be engaged with a locking notch  48  on panel  44  to engage the locking panel  42 , 44  with one another and hold the end panels  34 , 36  in the erected position. 
         [0019]    The side panel  22  also includes a pair of apertures  50  disposed in the inner portion  26  and the outer portion  30  that are aligned with one another when the side panels  22 , 24  are erected. The apertures  50  form an opening  52  in the tray  12  through which bees can enter and exit the enclosure  10 . In other embodiments the opening  52  can be disposed in other walls of the enclosure  10 , or multiple opening  52  can be utilized. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the cover  14  is shaped to have a perimeter slightly greater than the perimeter of the open upper end  16  of the tray  14  in order to enable the cover  16  to be positioned and frictionally or otherwise retained on the tray  12  directly over the open upper end  16  of the tray  14 . The cover  14  can be formed of materials similar to that used for the tray  12  and is initially formed from a blank  54  of the material. The blank  54  includes a central portion  56  having a pair of opposed side walls  58 , 60  attached thereto with a pair of opposed end walls  62 , 64  secured to the central section  56  between the side walls  58 , 60 . 
         [0021]    Each of the side walls  58 , 60  and the end walls  62 , 64  are formed with an inner part  66  folds and is attached to the central section  56  and an outer part  68  folds and is attached to the inner part  66 . The outer part  68  is foldable over the inner part  66  and engage with the central section  56  using tabs  70  disposed on the outer part  68  that are positional within slots  72  formed in the central section  56 . Further, end walls  62 , 64  each include locking flaps  74  that are positional between the inner part  66  and outer part  68  of the side walls  58 , 60  to hold the end walls  64 , 66  and side walls  58 , 60  in engagement with one another. 
         [0022]    In use, the blanks  18  and  54  are folded to erect the tray  12  and the cover  14  and form the enclosure  10 . Bees can then be introduced into the enclosure  10  directly or the enclosure  10  can be placed in a top bar nucleus (not shown) to assist the bees in forming a sustainable colony. Current nucleus boxes available cater to the Langstroth hives, which are cumbersome for compatibility or transfer to a top bar hive. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the angle of the end panels  34 , 36  relative to the bottom  20  of the top bar nucleus hive allows the comb formed by the bees within the enclosure/box  10  to be grown in compatibility for placement within a hive box, not shown. For example, the configuration for the enclosure  10  enables a number of enclosures  10  to be placed in a stacked configuration within the hive. The angle of the end panels  34 , 36  to provide this function can be between 112 degrees and 120 degrees, with an angle of 116 degrees being especially preferred. 
         [0023]    Further, if the enclosure  10  is formed of a corrugated paperboard material, the enclosure  10  can be biodegradable such that it is not required to remove the enclosure  10  from within the box in which it is positioned, as the paperboard material forming the enclosure  10  will degrade naturally. 
         [0024]    Further, while the illustrated exemplary embodiment for the enclosure  10  has the illustrated configuration and shape for the tray  12  and the cover  14 , it is also contemplated that the shapes of the tray  12  and cover  14 , as well as their constituent parts can have other alternative configurations. 
         [0025]    Various other embodiments of the present invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the filed claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.