Bees are essential to continue to keep our ecosystem working as we know it, these grasp pollinators enjoy a big purpose in supporting the advancement of trees, flowers, and other plants that provide as meals + shelter for all dwelling beings. They add to elaborate, interconnected ecosystems that permit a diverse amount of distinct species to co-exist. HIIVE is a beehive intended to support beekeepers to hold their bees in a far more organic way when compared to conventional hives. It is crafted from sustainable components and with small-electricity sensors to give the beekeeping encounter a a lot-desired upgrade considering that it has been 150 a long time because the typical bee box layout!
It supports the inherent habits of the Apis Mellifera aka the European honeybee which is a single of the most popular kinds. “At very first we just wished to structure a far more ergonomic beehive. Even though finding out style, we accompanied various beekeepers. The to start with time we observed the therapy against the Varroa Mite (most important enemy of the honeybee), it was shocking. The chemical therapy experienced a direct impact on the bees‘ behavior. We found that there is a far more significant challenge to be solved than the ergonomics of beekeeping. So we spoke to experts for assistance and they continuously pointed out the issue with the improper microclimate in typical bee-containers,” described Potthast and that is how the idea came to bee.
HIIVE is developed to replicate the microclimate of a tree cave which is the organic habitat of the European honey bee. In accordance to study, honey bees in tree caves live much healthier life and are far better geared up to deal with parasites for the reason that of circumstantial classes. HIIVE is primarily the initially tree cave that can be created at an industrial scale.
It provides a tree cave-like geometry devoid of cold bridges which tends to make it easy for the winter bees. The frame is made from recycled plastic and a textile deal with to shield versus the climate. Its also insulated with normal thermo hemp wool and an more vapor barrier movie for the best possible dampness handle. Many thanks to the insulation the animals have to use significantly less power to warmth up or awesome down the home and this “leisure time” has favourable results on their actions which encourages grooming normally.
Potthast expended a yr studying and learning style and design with beekeepers to understand the requires of the two animals and humans. When biologists pointed out that the microclimate is the most important challenge, the develop of the first edition of HIIVE was produced and insulated with all-natural hemp wool. “For the prototyping section, we used 3D printing for all structural components and laser chopping for the wooden sections. We have analyzed the 1st prototype with a bee colony and it worked effectively for the microclimate. But the dealing with was not fulfilling and the quantity required to be adjusted,” defined Potthast.
The redesign was additional effective and has a two-chamber technique – one honey chamber and a person brood chamber – which are simply extractable. This would make it doable to harvest honey respectfully. The sum of plastic was also reduced by more than 85% thanks to the use of the textile cover. It has a small producing price tag and thus can be inexpensive for beekeepers across the globe.
Conventional bee boxes neglect the needs that honey bees in fact make on a household. Bees prefer a round condition and excellent insulation which is in a natural way uncovered in tree caves. But in typical packing containers, they want to spend a whole lot of strength on holding the desired temperature for the duration of the seasons. There is also no dwelling house for symbionts and if parasites enter then the bees get in difficulty which results in beekeepers having to handle them with chemical compounds. In contrast, HIIVE was designed with a human-animal-centered method. It provides beekeeping back again to character and makes sure a healthful lifestyle for bees.
“At the instant we are conducting a discipline examination with 10 prototypes of the hottest variation. The strategy is to carry HIIVE to sequence creation soon after all assessments are designed,” explained Potthast as he spoke about the design’s long run. “The up coming stage is also the development of the campanion app, which will build a new way of trying to keep bees. With intelligent sensors we have the possibility to build not only wellness monitoring of each colony, but also a swarm alarm combined with a swarm net. In this way beekeepers get notified when just to hope a swarm so they can continue to keep bees in a quite purely natural way with out regulating their swarm habits,” he extra.
HIIVE is the fantastic combination of a pure and balanced house for bees as perfectly as ergonomic and quick to use by beekeepers. The built-in app will make beekeeping a lot more successful and harmless though the small-charge style and design will make it quick to be mass-produced devoid of incorporating to the plastic pollution dilemma. It is un-bee-lievably very good for a beehive!
Designer: Philip Potthast
HIIVE is a runner-up for the James Dyson Awards 2021 and has numerous a lot more noteworthy achievements by its journey from notion to completion.
