Beehive-mounted device for utilizing honeybees (hymenoptera: apidae) in the dissemination of biocontrol agents
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsHarry R. Gross, Raydene Johnson, J. C. Walters
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Biocontrol agents are disseminated for the control of pests by Apis mellifera L. using a device inserted into a modified down-sized super which is integrated as a substructure of a conventional, commercial beehive. The device provides separate entry and departure pathways which allows exiting bees to be surface-contaminated with the biocontrol agent as they exit the hive.
Claims18
A beehive-mounted device comprising
- a structure which frictionally fits into the opening of a downsized super,
- said structure having a floor member, a ceiling member, and a dividing member wherein said dividing member is positioned rearward relative to the front ends of said floor and ceiling members and taken together said floor, ceiling and dividing members define separate arrival and departure pathways for bees entering and exiting said beehive.
A downsized super comprising
- a beehive-mounted device which frictionally fits into an opening of said downsized super,
- said device having a floor member, a ceiling member, and a dividing member wherein said dividing member is positioned rearward relative to the front ends of said floor and ceiling members and taken together said floor, ceiling, and dividing members define separate arrival and departure pathways for bees entering and exiting said device.
A beehive comprising a downsized super containing
- a beehive-mounted device which frictionally fits into an opening of said downsized super,
- said device having a floor member, a ceiling member, and a dividing member wherein said dividing member is positioned rearward relative to the front ends of said floor and ceiling members and taken together said floor, ceiling, and dividing members define separate arrival and departure pathways for bees entering and exiting said device.
A method for dissemination of a biocontrol agent to plants by bees comprising
- locating a beehive comprising a downsized super containing a structure which frictionally fits into an opening of said downsized super,
- said structure having a floor member,
- (a) a ceiling member, and a dividing member wherein said dividing member is positioned rearward relative to the front ends of said floor and ceiling members and taken together said floor, ceiling, and dividing members define separate arrival and departure pathways for bees entering and exiting said structure,
- (b) structural side walls,
- (c) a removable tray positioned on the top surface of said dividing member and containing a biocontrol agent and an acceptable biocontrol agent powdered carrier,
- (d) a downwardly extending baffle attached to the bottom surface of said dividing member, and
- (e) a downwardly extending baffle attached to the bottom surface of said ceiling member and extending into a top volume of said tray,
- allowing said bees to depart from said hive by moving through the biocontrol agent and powdered carrier composition in said tray wherein the bees become contaminated with said composition, and
- allowing said bees to forage on said plants wherein the biocontrol agent and powdered carrier composition is deposited on said plants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.