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Protecting Pollinators Through Sustainable Engineering

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Protecting Pollinators Through Sustainable Engineering
Konstantin Dolgan

Written by Konstantin Dolgan, Ph.D., NPDP

Founder & CEO, Product Development Engineer

Updated August 31, 2026

Treating varroa destructor mites with controlled heat instead of chemicals means building a system, not a part: mechanical structure, thermal control and electronics have to work together in the field, on live colonies.

VTMS+ came to us asking for a queen excluder. It ended as a full integrated system that treats up to four hives at once — designed, prototyped, made manufacturable and packaged for market by our team.

Project at a glance

Client
VTMS+ — chemical-free varroa mite treatment system
Category
Agricultural equipment / sustainable engineering
Initial request
Design of a queen excluder to protect the queen during treatment
Final scope
Full system architecture across mechanical, thermal and electronic subsystems
Capability proven
Controlled thermal treatment of up to four hives simultaneously, portable and safe to operate
What we delivered
System architecture, mechanical design, electrical and thermal design, CNC and 3D-printed prototype parts, integrated working prototype, DFM files and BOMs, packaging design, sell sheet and product video

The challenge

Bees are essential to global food systems, biodiversity, and ecological balance. A significant portion of the world’s crops depends on pollination, yet bee populations continue to decline worldwide.
Habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate stress, and disease all play a role, but one of the most destructive and persistent threats is the varroa destructor mite.
Varroa mites weaken colonies, spread viruses, and significantly reduce hive survival rates.
Thermal treatment works because mites die at a temperature bees survive — but the window between the two is only a few degrees. The system had to hold every part of a loaded hive inside that window, across four hives at once, outdoors, on equipment a beekeeper could afford and operate alone.

The client

The VTMS+ team initially approached LA New Product Development Team with a focused request, the design of a queen excluder intended to protect the queen during hive treatment. As development progressed, the scope expanded rapidly.
The client recognized the need for a complete, integrated solution capable of safely eliminating varroa mites using controlled heat. LA NPDT transitioned from component-level design to full system architecture, defining how mechanical, thermal, and electronic subsystems would work together in real-world beekeeping conditions.
Queen excluder component that started the VTMS+ project
Rendering of the full VTMS+ thermal treatment system

Our solution

To turn the concept into reality, our team designed and fabricated numerous custom components. CNC-machined metal parts and 3D-printed polymer components were produced to validate fit, strength, thermal behavior, and assembly logic.
This hands-on prototyping phase allowed rapid iteration and informed critical design decisions before committing to final materials and manufacturing processes.
CNC machined metal parts for the heat chamber
3D printed polymer components during fit checks
Thermal control electronics assembly
Subassembly bench test before integration
As individual components were validated, LA NPDT assembled them into a fully integrated VTMS+ prototype. The completed system demonstrated controlled thermal treatment, safe operation, portability, and the ability to treat up to four hives simultaneously.
This stage marked a critical milestone. The project moved from theoretical design and renderings to a tangible, working system ready for field testing and real-world evaluation.
Integrated VTMS+ prototype treating four hives

Designing for manufacturing and scale

Beyond functional prototyping, we prepared VTMS+ for manufacturing. LA NPDT delivered complete mechanical and electrical design files, detailed bills of materials, and design-for-manufacturing optimizations to reduce cost and simplify production.
The result was a system that balanced performance, reliability, and affordability, enabling the client to confidently move toward mass production and broader deployment.

Packaging, sales tools and market readiness

To support commercialization, LA NPDT also designed the product packaging, creating a professional box rendering that communicates value, function, and sustainability. In addition, we developed a sell sheet to clearly explain the system’s benefits, technical specifications, and use cases for beekeepers, partners, and stakeholders.
These materials played an important role in fundraising discussions, beta testing outreach, and early customer engagement.

Explaining the system through video

Product video still explaining how VTMS+ works
Complex systems benefit from visual explanation. LA NPDT produced a product video that demonstrates how VTMS+ works, why thermal treatment is effective, and how the system fits into real beekeeping workflows.
The video became a key asset for demonstrations, stakeholder presentations, and online communication.
Delivering a system of this complexity required coordinated work across engineering, manufacturing, and market readiness. Below is a breakdown of how our team supported VTMS+ from concept to deployment.

Services provided

  1. 01

    System Architecture & Concept Expansion

    We began by supporting the design of a single component, the queen excluder. As the project evolved, we expanded the scope to define the full VTMS+ system architecture, determining how mechanical structures, thermal treatment, electronics, and user interaction would work together as a cohesive solution.
  2. 02

    Mechanical Design & Engineering

    Our team designed all mechanical components required for the system, including structural elements, hive interfaces, housings, and heat-management features. Designs were optimized for durability, outdoor use, and ease of assembly.
  3. 03

    Electrical & Thermal System Design

    We developed the electronic and thermal control aspects of the system, ensuring precise temperature regulation required to eliminate varroa mites while keeping bees safe. Power management and system safety were key design considerations.
  4. 04

    Prototyping & Component Fabrication

    We produced multiple iterations of components using CNC machining and 3D printing to validate fit, function, thermal behavior, and assembly. This hands-on prototyping allowed rapid iteration and informed final design decisions.
  5. 05

    System Integration & Functional Prototyping

    Individual components were assembled into a fully integrated VTMS+ prototype capable of treating up to four hives simultaneously. We validated system operation, portability, and real-world usability.
  6. 06

    Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

    We prepared the system for manufacturing by refining geometries, reducing part complexity, and selecting cost-effective materials and processes. Complete manufacturing-ready CAD files, drawings, and bills of materials were delivered.
  7. 07

    Testing & Field-Readiness Support

    We supported testing efforts to ensure the system was ready for beta deployment with real beekeepers. The final design enabled full-scale testing and demonstration to stakeholders.
  8. 08

    Packaging Design

    We designed the product packaging, including a professional box rendering, to support commercialization and clearly communicate the system’s value and functionality.
  9. 09

    Marketing & Sales Materials

    We created key marketing assets, including a sell sheet, product renderings, animations, and visual explanations to support fundraising, outreach, and stakeholder presentations.
  10. 10

    Video Production

    We produced a product video to demonstrate how VTMS+ works, explain the benefits of thermal treatment, and communicate the system’s impact clearly and visually.
  11. 11

    Website & Launch Support

    We assisted with website development and content creation to position VTMS+ for market entry and early adoption.

The result

VTMS+ enables beekeepers to combat varroa mites without chemicals, protecting bees, preserving honey quality, and reducing environmental harm. For small and medium-sized operations, the system provides a practical, accessible tool to improve hive survival and long-term productivity. At a broader level, VTMS+ contributes to healthier pollinator populations and more resilient agricultural ecosystems. This project demonstrates how thoughtful, sustainability-driven engineering can deliver benefits far beyond the product itself.
Beekeeper inspecting a treated hive frame

Working with system builders

VTMS+ is a clear example of how LA New Product Development Team helps innovators move from ideas to fully realized systems. From early concepts and component design to prototyping, manufacturing readiness, and market-facing materials, we support the entire product journey.

Capabilities used on this project

  • Rapid prototyping services

    3D printing, CNC machining, urethane casting and functional prototype builds with published materials, tolerances and lead times.

How a component request becomes a manufacturable system

Varroa mites weaken colonies, spread viruses and cut hive survival rates, and the chemical treatments most beekeepers rely on can harm bees, contaminate honey and lose effectiveness over time. That is the bar a thermal system has to clear.

  1. 1. Recognize when the scope is really a system

    The engagement began with one component — a queen excluder to protect the queen during treatment. It became clear the real requirement was a complete solution, so we moved from component-level design to full system architecture defining how mechanical, thermal and electronic subsystems interact.

  2. 2. Design mechanical parts for the outdoors

    Structural elements, hive interfaces, housings and heat-management features were designed for durability in outdoor conditions and for easy assembly, because a beekeeper handles this equipment in a field, in a suit, in heat.

  3. 3. Treat thermal control as the safety system

    Heat that kills mites and heat that harms bees are close together. The electrical and thermal subsystems were developed so treatment is controlled and repeatable rather than approximate.

  4. 4. Fabricate real parts to validate assumptions

    We produced CNC-machined metal parts and 3D-printed polymer components to validate fit, strength, thermal behavior and assembly logic — iterating rapidly before committing to final materials or processes.

  5. 5. Integrate, then prove it in the field

    Validated components were assembled into a complete VTMS+ prototype demonstrating controlled thermal treatment, safe operation, portability and simultaneous treatment of up to four hives — the point where the project stopped being renderings and became a working system.

  6. 6. Make it manufacturable, then sellable

    We delivered complete mechanical and electrical design files, detailed bills of materials and DFM optimizations to cut cost and simplify production, then produced packaging design, a sell sheet and a product video used in fundraising, beta outreach and early customer conversations.

Chemical vs. thermal varroa treatment
FactorChemical treatmentThermal treatment (VTMS+)
ResidueCan contaminate honey and waxChemical-free
ResistanceEffectiveness declines over timeMites cannot develop resistance to heat
Colony impactCan stress or harm beesDepends on precise, controlled temperature
EquipmentLow up-front cost, recurring purchasesSystem purchase, treats up to four hives at once
Industrial equipment and machine designElectronics and thermal system design

Questions about this project

Straight answers from the engineers who ran the build. Have a different question? Ask us directly.

Talk to an engineer
Why does thermal treatment work against varroa mites?

Mites tolerate a narrower temperature band than bees do, so a precisely controlled heat cycle kills mites while the colony survives. The engineering challenge is that 'precisely controlled' is doing all the work — which is why thermal control and sensing drive the whole architecture.

My project started as one part and keeps growing. Is that normal?

It is common and usually healthy — it means the real requirement is coming into focus. The important thing is to formally restate the scope as system architecture rather than continuing to design parts, so subsystem interfaces are decided deliberately instead of accumulating.

Why fabricate CNC and printed parts if the design will be molded later?

Because fit, strength, thermal behavior and assembly logic are cheaper to learn on machined and printed parts than on tooled ones. Once those are validated, the DFM pass converts the design to the right production process with the risk already removed.

Do you help with fundraising and go-to-market materials?

Yes. On VTMS+ the packaging rendering, sell sheet and product video were part of the engagement, and they carried real weight in fundraising discussions and beta testing outreach. A complex system that nobody can explain in two minutes stalls regardless of its engineering.

Industries this project belongs to

See how we approach development in each of these categories, and the other products we have taken from sketch to production there.

More of our work

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