Incubation tray for bees

A stack of trays, comprising at least an underlying set of trays and an overlying set of trays, each of the underlying set of trays and the overlying set of trays comprising a cover tray and a screened tray, wherein:

• each cover tray comprises a length, a width, and a closed end surrounded by a peripheral sidewall that defines a cavity having an opening opposite the closed end;
• and
• each screened tray comprises a length and a width substantially the same as the length and the width of the cover tray, and further comprising:
• a screened panel that permits airflow therethrough;
• a containment flange that surrounds and extends outward from a first face of the screened panel, the containment flange being received within the opening of the cover tray such that the screened panel covers and permits airflow through the opening of the cavity;
• and
• a support structure that extends outward from a second face of the screened panel opposite the containment flange, the support structure having apertures that permit airflow through the support structure, the support structure being configured to engage the closed end of the cover tray in a first position in which the cover tray is substantially aligned with the screened tray and the cover tray is spaced from the screened panel such that the apertures are disposed between the closed end of the tray and the screened panel, and in a second position in which the cover tray is substantially perpendicular to the screened tray;
• wherein the closed end of the cover tray of the overlying set of trays engages the support structure of the screened tray of the underlying set of trays.

A method of incubating bees, comprising:

• placing bee larva in a plurality of screened trays, each screened tray comprising:
• a length;
• a width;
• a screened panel that permits airflow therethrough;
• a containment flange that surrounds and extends outward from a first face of the screened panel;
• and
• a support structure that extends outward from a second face of the screened panel opposite the containment flange, the support structure having apertures that permit airflow through the support structure;
• wherein the containment flange comprises a first edge profile that cooperates with a second edge profile of the support structure, the first edge profile and the second edge profile permitting an overlying screened tray to be supported transversely on an underlying screened tray;
• stacking the plurality of screened trays in a first stack such that adjacent trays in the stack are positioned in a transverse orientation;
• and
• at a predetermined stage of development of the bee larva, forming a plurality of sets of trays by installing a cover tray on each of the screened trays, each cover tray comprising a length and a width that are substantially the same as the length and the width of the screened tray, and a closed end surrounded by a peripheral sidewall that defines a cavity having an opening opposite the closed end, wherein the containment flange of the screened tray is received within the cavity of the cover tray.