transparent and round beehive lets keepers see the bees and collect honey using a drawer

Jul 05, 2023

Startup Ivry-B has created a dubbed world’s first see-through and round beehive encased in barrel plywood. The design can allow beekeepers to see the bees from the outside – as opposed to the conventional boxed and covered arrangement – and harvest honey without disturbing them. Ivry-B tops its beehive with a 180-degree transparent cover to provide an unobstructed view of the bees and make it easier for the beekeepers to see what is happening inside and even check the bees’ health without distracting the colonies. The design also carves dual entrances and exits around the barrel to enable airflow while making sure the bees are kept inside.

The transparent and round beehive also has an add-on upper drawer to let the beekeepers collect honey from the hive easily. Here, the worker bees fill the honeycombs and the queen is safely separated and unable to access the space. When the beekeepers need to extract honey, they just remove the drawer, and the worker bees will instinctively return their queen to the main hive. Ivry-B states that the round shape of the beehive enables unnecessary debris to just slide off the surface, helping the bees easily push it out as it drops at the bottom.

images by Ivry-B

Ivry-B opts for round-shaped honeycomb frames to fit the wooden barrel of the beehive. For a more traditional honey extraction, the beekeepers can pull out the round honeycombs from the wooden beehive and use a honey extractor or cut a large piece of honeycomb off the frame with a knife. A reason why Ivry-B chooses a circular form is because it mirrors the natural shape of a honeycomb, providing bees with a familiar living environment.

The transparent and round beehive is made of durable plywood while the transparent cover consists of a strong piece of polycarbonate. Its insulation properties help regulate temperature and protect the bees from extreme weather conditions, making Ivry-B weather-resistant. The startup claims that it is easy to assemble the transparent and round beehive and that both seasoned and beginner beekeepers can benefit from the wooden beehive. In its campaign, Ivry-B claims to send out the first batches of the transparent and round beehive in January 2024.

Ivry-B has created a see-through and round beehive encased in barrel plywood

Ivry-B’s transparent and round beehive allows beekeepers to view the colonies from the outside

Ivry-B states that the round shape helps the bees be familiar with the natural form of a honeycomb

Ivry-B’s transparent cover also comes with a wooden cover to protect the bees from excessive sunlight or heat