Stackable package and system for holding and transporting honeybees

Abstract

A package and system for holding and transporting small living beings, particularly, insects such as honeybees and the like, configurable in a robust, sturdy three-dimensional shape for handling and transport by mail and commercial carriers, which prevents stinging from within the package, allows escape of smaller accompanying insects such as hive beetles, is interlocking with others of the packages and strong enough to support other packages and items thereon; that provides for air flow through and about the package for heat dissipation for proper honeybee environment; that accommodates food and separately carrying a queen bee; and that can be easily and quickly broken down into a non-operational, generally flat configuration for initial sale, transport, and storage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transportation package for small living beings of a predetermined minimum size, comprising:
 a sheet including a plurality of substantially rigid panels having openings therethrough smaller than the predetermined minimum size, connected along predetermined edge joints and having free edges opposite to, and angularly related to, the predetermined edge joints, respectively, the sheet being bendable or foldable along and about the predetermined edge joints to bring predetermined pairs of the free edges together in abutting relation, respectively, to prevent passage of the small living beings therebetween, and to hold the panels in angularly related positions bounding and substantially enclosing an interior cavity for receiving the small living beings, at least some of the predetermined pairs of the free edges including mating locking elements lockingly engageable for connecting and holding the free edges in the abutting relation and the panels in the angularly related positions.   
     
     
         2 . The transport package of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the panels bounds and defines an opening connecting with the interior cavity and configured for receiving a food container in the cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The transport package of  claim 2 , further comprising a detachable cover lockingly attachable to the at least one of the panels in covering relation to the opening connecting with the interior cavity, for retaining the food container in the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The transport package of  claim 1 , further comprising elements on at least one of the panels, configured to hold the food container in the interior cavity, in a manner so as to bear against at least one other of the panels to prevent collapse of the package. 
     
     
         5 . The transport package of  claim 4 , wherein the elements comprise hooks fixedly engageable with edges of the container. 
     
     
         6 . The transport package of  claim 1 , further comprising stand offs extending outwardly a predetermined distance from at least one of the panels. 
     
     
         7 . The transport package of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the panels bounds a recessed receptacle configured to hold a container carrying a queen bee separately from and in communication with the interior cavity. 
     
     
         8 . A transportation package system for small living beings of a predetermined minimum size, comprising:
 at least two packages rigidly lockingly connected in spaced apart relation bounding a passage therebetween, each of the packages being comprised of folded substantially rigid panels having openings therethrough smaller than the predetermined minimum size, the panels lockingly connected in angularly related positions along predetermined edge joints in a manner to prevent passage of the small living beings therebetween, and such that the panels bound and enclose an interior cavity for receiving the small living beings within the package.   
     
     
         9 . The transport package system of  claim 8 , wherein the small living beings comprise bees, and each of the packages comprises a food container within the interior cavity thereof accessible by the bees and connected to and incorporated in supportive relation to the panels for strengthening the package. 
     
     
         10 . The transport package system of  claim 8 , wherein the packages are configured to be disconnected from each other and the panels thereof disconnected to allow configuring the packages in a generally flat configuration when not in use.