System and method for removing varroa mites from bees
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsSamuel K. Abban, Irving Smith, Francisco Posada-Florez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The bee washing system washes worker bees and filters out varroa mites so that a beekeeper/operator can estimate the number of infected bees in a hive. The system includes a bee containment section with a coarse mesh filter, and a wash material section with a fine mesh filter. The system is structured so that when the bee containment section is loaded with bees, and the wash material section is loaded with wash material, an operator washes the bees by shaking the system. When the wash is complete, the operator detaches the wash material section from the system and counts the mites present on the fine mesh filter.
Claims20
A system for washing varroa mites from bees, the system comprising:
- a unitary washing device having a bee containment section, and a wash material section;
- the bee containment section being defined by a first end, and a coarse filter, the bees being contained between the first end and the coarse filter;
- and,
- the wash material section being defined by a fine filter, and a second end, so that when the unitary washing device is in a vertical operating position, the fine filter is below the coarse filter;
- whereby the system is structured so that an operator washes the bees by shaking the unitary washing device and when the wash is complete, spent wash material in due course drains through the fine filter, and the fine filter filters out the varroa mites.
A unitary bee washing device comprising:
- a bee containment section having a coarse filter;
- and,
- a wash material section having a fine filter;
- wherein the device is configured so that when a bee wash is complete, a spent washing fluid filters through the coarse filter, and then through the fine filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.