Structural Analysis of Design Requirements in European Honey Beehives

Abstract

Beehives used for keeping European honey bees are mostly limited to Langstroth beehives in Japan, and few new hives have been proposed. In order to clarify the design requirements for the honeybee hive, the causal relationship was examined using graph theory. As a result of discussions by five beekeepers on the design requirements for honey beehives, a total of 45 items were set. As a result of analysis by the ISM method, it was found that 45 design requirements consisted of 17 layers, and they had a complicated causal relationship. In addition, among these, design requirements that should be especially emphasized are that the nest board that can be easily attached and detached can be stored in the beehives, that the internal space of the beehives can be expanded or contracted according to the number of bees, and that it is robust. It was also suggested that the design requirements may differ depending on the purpose and conditions of beekeeping.