Since invention with the wooden beehive 150+ in years past, there’ve been few innovations in beehive design. But that’s all changing now-at warp speed. Where other industries had the posh to evolve slowly, beekeeping must deploy the most recent technologies if it’s to function facing growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use along with the spread of world pathogens.

Enter in the “Smart Hive”

-a system of scientific bee care meant to precisely monitor and manage conditions in hives. Where traditional beekeepers might visit each hive with a weekly or monthly basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, and thus can alert beekeepers towards the requirement of intervention as soon as a challenge situation occurs.

“Until the advent of smart hives, beekeeping was actually an analog process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees to the Internet of Things. If you’re able to adjust your home’s heat, turn lights on and off, see who’s for your front door, all from your cell phone, have you thought to perform same with beehives?”

While many begin to see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management will surely have significant impact on the bottom line of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich and his team at Best Bees is most encouraged by their influence on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose up to 50 % individuals bee colonies every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives accommodate more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that could mean a significant improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a win for everybody on the planet.”

The very first smart hives to be released utilize solar energy, micro-sensors and cell phone apps to evaluate conditions in hives and send reports to beekeepers’ phones on the conditions in each hive. Most smart hive systems include monitors that measure hive weight, temperature, humidity, CO2 levels, acoustics and in some cases, bee count.

Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers an indication of the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting them to the requirement to feed (when weight is low) and harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers a feeling of the relative productivity of each one colony. A dramatic drop in weight can advise that the colony has swarmed, or perhaps the hive continues to be knocked over by animals.

Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive should be moved to a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive needs to be insulated or protected against cold winds.

Humidity. While honey production produces a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, specially in the winter, can be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels allow beekeepers are aware that moisture build-up is happening, indicating an excuse for better ventilation and water removal.

CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate better amounts of CO2 than humans, excessive levels can kill them. Monitoring CO2 levels can alert beekeepers on the should ventilate hives.

Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers into a quantity of dangerous situations: specific changes in sound patterns can often mean the losing of a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.

Bee count. Counting the quantity of bees entering and leaving a hive may give beekeepers a signal with the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this could indicate nectar flow, along with the need to relocate hives to easier areas.

Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are using a fresh gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to determine if bees have grabbed mites while outside of the hive, alerting beekeepers from the need to treat those hives to avoid mite infestation.

Some of the more advanced (and dear) smart hives are created to automate most of standard beekeeping work. These range from environmental control, swarm prevention, mite treatment and honey harvesting.

Environmental control. When data indicate a hive is simply too warm, humid or has CO2 build-up, automated hives can self-ventilate, optimizing internal environmental conditions.

Swarm prevention. When weight and acoustic monitoring claim that a colony is preparing to swarm, automated hives can alter hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.

Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the existence of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments including formic acid. Some bee scientists are trying out CO2, allowing levels to climb enough in hives to kill mites, but not sufficient to endanger bees. Others operate over a prototype of the hive “cocoon” that raises internal temperatures to 108 degrees, a level of heat that kills most varroa mites.

Feeding. When weight monitors indicate low levels of honey, automated hives can release stores of sugar water.

Honey harvesting. When weight levels indicate a good amount of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to drain from specifically created frames into containers below the hives, willing to tap by beekeepers.

While smart hives are only start to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market are already exploring the next generation of technology.

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