> Reduced stress on the bees
> Conserve energy & save resources
> Reduced colony losses
> Faster & stronger spring growth
Letting the Bees Control the Entrance
HiveGate restores the bees' natural ability to manage the entrance like they would in the wild.
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Natural nests are tree hollows with thick walls and small, controllable entrances that help bees regulate their environment.
In contrast, standard Langstroth hives have a wide, thin-walled entrance at the front wall, disconnecting bees from managing their entrance 24/7.
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HiveGate restores the bees' natural behaviour and ability to manage their entrance at all times, as they would in the wild.
What We Observed in a 14-month Field Trial
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Temperature Control
By shaping a body of bees over the internal HiveGate entrance, the colony is able to control airflow into and out of the hive. This allows the bees to regulate temperature, keeping cold air out and retaining warmth by adjusting their position to partially or fully close the entrance as needed.
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Reduced clustering behavior
When the outside temperature drops to around 10°C, the bees in the standard hive move up toward the roof, into a tight cluster, leaving the entrance exposed. However, with HiveGate, the colony stays lower in the hive, calmly managing the entrance without the need to cluster.
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​Research shows that clustering is a stressful survival response, not a healthy or natural state for a bee colony. It is a way to survive tough conditions. Many people think bees cluster to stay warm and insulated, but Derek Mitchell* found the opposite is true. The outer layer of the cluster lets heat escape, which makes it harder for the bees to keep warm and causes extra stress. Instead of being a natural, healthy state, clustering is more like an emergency response caused by poor hive materials and poor insulation.
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HiveGate enables the colony to close the internal entrance, keep out the cold, and reduce the need to cluster.
HiveGate cannot completely counteract the effects of poor hive construction and materials, such as thin wood and inadequate insulation, but it significantly helps reduce cold air entering the hive.
Humidity Control
The colony with HiveGate kept the relative humidity levels higher and more stable compared to the hive without HiveGate. This is important for brood health and growth.
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In comparison, the hive without HiveGate showed much greater daily fluctuations in relative humidity. This suggests the colony had less control over humidity levels and had to work harder to maintain the right conditions, using more energy than the HiveGate colony
Active Ventilation & Passive Airflow
The bees actively fan air through the HiveGate, lining up (like 'slipstreaming'), creating effective airflow when needed, like switching on natural air conditioning (figure 1). And they also form deliberate air channels to direct passive airflow (figure 2).
Faster & Stronger Spring Growth
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