# US 11,297,805 B2 · Miticidal beehive entranceway

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- Number: US 11,297,805 B2
- Document ID: US11297805B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/862,824
- Filed: 2020-04-30
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-02
- Applicants: Andrew Bramante; Raina Jain
- Inventors: Andrew Bramante; Raina Jain
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297805B2

## CPC

- A01K 51/00: Appliances for treating beehives or parts thereof, e.g. for cleaning or disinfecting
- A01K 47/06: Other details of beehives, e.g. ventilating devices, entrances to hives, guards, partitions or bee escapes
- A01N 25/34: Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group
- A01N 31/08: Oxygen or sulfur directly attached to an aromatic ring system
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS

## Abstract

A miticidal beehive entranceway is provided having a solid substrate coated with a thymol-containing composition and having holes dimensioned to compel bees entering/exiting the beehive to walk through the holes and contact the thymol-containing composition, thereby exposing mites attached to the bee to a killing dose of thymol while not injuring the bee. In some embodiments, the entranceway may have agitating bristles (which may be coated with thymol) extending into the entranceway, which contact the body of the bee to agitate or dislodge the mites attached to the bee, further enhancing mite removal or death.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An entranceway for a beehive comprising a solid substrate, said substrate dimensioned to completely occlude an entrance of the beehive and comprising a plurality of entry holes dimensioned to allow entry of bees into the beehive only when walking, and said substrate being coated with a thymol-containing composition, whereby bees entering the beehive are compelled to pass through the entry holes and contact the thymol-containing composition, wherein the thymol-containing composition is a mixture consisting essentially of thymol and an ether-based hydrophilic urethane.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The entranceway of claim 1 wherein the solid substrate is a 3-dimensional (3D) printer compatible polymer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The entranceway of claim 2 wherein the solid substrate comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The entranceway of claim 1 wherein the thymol-containing composition is a mixture consisting of thymol and the ether-based hydrophilic urethane.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The entranceway of claim 1 which further comprises a plurality of agitation bristles spaced about each of the entry holes, extending into each of the entry holes, and dimensioned to contact the entering bees and agitate or dislodge Varroa mites under the abdominal plates of the bees.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The entranceway of claim 5 wherein the agitation bristles are coated with thymol.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method of combatting Varroa infestation in a beehive which comprises providing the entranceway of claim 1 to the beehive so that bees are obligated to walk through the holes to enter the bee hive.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4, 7)

The method of claim 7 which comprises providing the entranceway of claim 4.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 further comprising outgassing the thymol from the entranceway to a headspace of the beehive.

### Claim 10

A beehive comprising a removable entranceway, the entranceway comprising a solid substrate having a plurality of holes for restricting bees from flying into the beehive, the entranceway comprising a coating of a thymol-containing composition, whereby bees entering the beehive are compelled to walk through the holes and contact the thymol-containing composition, wherein the thymol-containing composition is a mixture consisting essentially of thymol and an ether-based hydrophilic urethane.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The beehive of claim 10 wherein the solid substrate is a 3D printer compatible polymer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The beehive of claim 11 wherein the solid substrate comprises ABS.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The beehive of claim 10 wherein the thymol-containing composition is a mixture consisting of thymol and the ether-based hydrophilic urethane.