US 8,465,340 B1Granted

Nest for solitary bees

AssigneePacific Pollination, LLC

InventorMatthew James Allan

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Abstract

A nest for solitary bees may be fashioned from a rectangular solid of either a solid matrix or a number of nest elements. Each side of the nest contains a multiplicity of apertures, where each aperture provides a nesting cavity for the bees. Each aperture has an open end and a closed end. If fashioned from individual nest elements, the orientation of the apertures may be adjusted as desired, such that each element may be stacked upon an adjacent element in one of four orientations, so that the cavities of one element may be at 0°, 90°, 180° or 270° relative to an adjacent element. If desired, the aperture density of each side may be adjusted as desired. The configuration of the nesting cavities of the present invention reduces congestion at nest entrances and provides shelter to the bees from predators and the environment.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A nest for solitary bees comprising:

a rectangular solid comprising a top, a bottom, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side, wherein the first side is on the opposite side of the rectangular solid from the third side and the second side is on the opposite side of the rectangular solid from the fourth side;
wherein the first side comprises a first plurality of apertures extending as elongated passageways from the first side to, but not penetrating, the third side, each of the apertures of the first plurality having an axis normal to the first side;
the second side comprises a second plurality of apertures extending as elongated passageways from the second side to, but not penetrating, the fourth side, each of the apertures of the second plurality having an axis normal to the second side;
the third side comprises a third plurality of apertures extending as elongated passageways from the third side to, but not penetrating, the first side, each of the apertures of the third plurality having an axis normal to the third side;
the fourth side comprises a fourth plurality of apertures extending as elongated passageways from the fourth side to, but not penetrating, the second side, each of the apertures of the fourth plurality having an axis normal to the fourth side;
and
wherein none of the axes of the apertures of the first, second, third and fourth pluralities coincide with or bisect any of the axes of the apertures of the other respective pluralities.

4 more elements

A nest for solitary bees comprising:

a rectangular solid comprising a top, a bottom, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side, wherein the first side is on the opposite side of the rectangular solid from the third side and the second side is on the opposite side of the rectangular solid from the four side, wherein the rectangular solid comprises a plurality of square nest elements assembled in a vertically stacked arrangement;
wherein the first side comprises a first plurality of apertures extending from the first side to, but not penetrating, the third side, each of the apertures of the first plurality having an axis normal to the first side,
wherein the second side comprises a second plurality of apertures extending from the second side to, but not penetrating, the fourth side, each of the apertures of the second plurality having an axis normal to the second side;
wherein the third side comprising a third plurality of apertures extending from the third side to, but not penetrating, the first side, each of the apertures of the third plurality having an axis normal to the third side;
wherein the fourth side comprises a fourth plurality of plurality of apertures extending from the fourth side to, but not penetrating, the second side, each of the apertures of the fourth plurality having an axis normal to the fourth side;
and
wherein none of the axes of the apertures of the first, second, third and fourth pluralities coincide with or bisect any of the axes of the apertures of the other respective pluralities.

4 more elements

A nest for solitary bees comprising:

a first rectangular solid comprising a top, a bottom, a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side, wherein the first side is on the opposite side of the rectangular solid from the third side and the second side is on the opposite side of the rectangular solid from the four side;
wherein the first side comprises a first plurality of apertures extending from the first side to, but not penetrating, the third side, each of the apertures of the first plurality having an axis normal to the first side;
the second side comprises a second plurality of apertures extending from the second side to, but not penetrating, the fourth side, each of the apertures of the second plurality having an axis normal to the second side;
the third side comprises a third plurality of apertures extending from the third side to, but not penetrating, the first side, each of the apertures of the third plurality having an axis normal to third side;
the fourth side comprises a fourth plurality of plurality of apertures extending from the fourth side to, but not penetrating, the second side, each of the apertures of the fourth plurality having an axis normal to the fourth side;
wherein none of the axes of the apertures of the first, second, third and fourth pluralities coincide with or bisect any of the axes of the apertures of the other respective pluralities;
a second rectangular solid substantially the same as the first rectangular solid;
and
a housing unit which maintains the first rectangular solid and the second rectangular solid in adjacent relationship, wherein a first interior passage is defined by a space between the first rectangular solid and the second rectangular solid.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.