Bee hive

A bee hive providing a two queen side by side system, the bee hive comprising a bottom section having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls;

• inclined boards extending upwardly from the front and rear walls to meet at about the centre of the top of the side walls to define a first space beneath the boards and a second space above the boards;
• a dividing wall mounted on the inclined boards, substantially parallel to the side walls, to divide the second space into a first and a second chamber, each chamber having a front wall, a rear wall, an exterior side wall and the common dividing wall on top of the inclined boards;
• a closeable bee entrance in each front wall;
• a closeable ventilation opening in all other walls except the dividing wall including at least one vent in each side wall communicating the first space with the exterior of the hive;
• and a closeable ventilation opening in each rear wall to communicate the second space with the exterior of the hive;
• internal vents in the side walls of the bottom section to permit air flow between the first space and the second space;
• a brood chamber over each of the first and second chambers of the bottom section, each brood chamber comprising a double side wall of an outer and an inner wall spaced from each other to define a ventilation channel between them;
• front and back walls each comprising a spaced outer and inner wall defining a ventilation channel and a central dividing wall between the two brood chambers;
• an opening in the dividing wall to permit air circulation between the brood chambers and a mesh in said opening to prevent bees passing between the brood chamber;
• a queen excluder above each brood chamber, the excluder being such that the queen cannot pass through it;
• at least one hive section extending over the combined area of the two brood chambers above said excluders and comprising spaced inner and outer walls defining ventilation channels, each ventilation channel aligned with a ventilation channel in the brood chamber below;
• the front inner and back inner wall of each brood chamber and the hive section being spaced below the upper edge of the corresponding outer wall to provide a means of suspending hive frames;
• a closeable entrance in at least one wall of each hive section;
• a top section for each half of the hive and comprising:
• i. an inner cover having inner and outer walls to define ventilation channels around its periphery to communicate with the hive section below, the channels at the sides of the inner cover aligning with the ventilation channels in the hive section below an inner space and;
• a base in the inner cover adjacent the lower edges of the inner walls;
• ii. a reversible inner lid comprising a flat board having first and second sides;
• projections formed on the first side;
• ventilation openings around the periphery of the inner lid to align with the channels in the inner cover;
• an upstanding wall formed on the second side to align with the inner walls on the inner cover below and to space said second side away from the inner cover to define ventilation openings at the top of the ventilation channels;
• iii. an outer lid common to both halves and comprising a top having walls to define an area larger than the combined areas of the inner lids whereby the outer lid can be moved in the direction of the wind direction in order to facilitate ventilation, the outer lid being locatable on the projections of the inner lid or the walls of said inner lids depending on the ventilation required.

A bottom section for a bee hive, the bottom section comprising:

• a removable front wall, a removable rear wall and two side walls;
• a closeable bee entrance in the front wall;
• inclined boards extending upwardly from the front and rear walls to meet at about the center of the top of the side walls to define a first space beneath the boards and a second space above the boards;
• internal vents in the side wall to permit air flow between the first space and the second space;
• at least one closeable vent in each side wall to communicate the first space with the exterior of the bottom section;
• at least one closeable vent in the rear wall to communicate the second space with the exterior of the bottom section.

A top section for a bee hive, the top section comprising in combination:

• i. an inner cover having inner and outer walls to define an inner space able to receive an insulating pad and ventilation channels around its periphery to communicate with a part of the hive below,
• a base in the inner cover adjacent the lower edges of the inner walls;
• and
• ii. a reversible inner lid comprising a flat board having first and second sides;
• projections formed on the first side;
• ventilation openings around the periphery of the lid to align with the channels in the inner cover;
• an upstanding wall formed on the second side to align with the inner walls on the inner cover below and to space said second side away from the inner cover to define ventilation openings at the top of the ventilation channels in the inner cover.