• Daniel Fleming posted an update 4 weeks ago

    Because the invention in the wooden beehive 150+ years back, 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 up-to-date technologies if it’s to perform facing growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use and the spread of worldwide pathogens.

    Enter in the “Smart Hive”

    -a system of scientific bee care designed to precisely monitor and manage conditions in hives. Where traditional beekeepers might visit each hive on a regular basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, so can alert beekeepers towards the requirement for intervention after a problem situation occurs.

    “Until the advent of smart hives, beekeeping really was a mechanical process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees into the Internet of products. If you can adjust your home’s heat, turn lights don and doff, see who’s for your entry way, all from a mobile phone, you will want to perform do i think the beehives?”

    Although see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management can have significant influence 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 nearly half in our bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives allow for more precise monitoring and treatment, and that could mean a tremendous improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a victory for anyone on earth.”

    The initial smart hives to be removed utilize solar power, micro-sensors and smart phone apps to evaluate conditions in hives and send reports to beekeepers’ phones for the conditions in every 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 in the stop and start of nectar flow, alerting these to the necessity to feed (when weight is low) also to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers a sense the relative productivity of each one colony. A dramatic drop in weight can declare that the colony has swarmed, or even the hive has become knocked over by animals.

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

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

    CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate greater numbers of CO2 than humans, excessive levels can kill them. Monitoring CO2 levels can alert beekeepers on the need to ventilate hives.

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

    Bee count. Counting the number of bees entering and leaving a hive can give beekeepers a sign from the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this will indicate nectar flow, and also the must relocate hives to easier areas.

    Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are experimenting with a new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to ascertain if bees have picked up mites while outside of the hive, alerting beekeepers with the should treat those hives to stop mite infestation.

    Many of the heightened (and dear) smart hives are created to automate a lot of standard beekeeping work. These range from environmental control, swarm prevention, mite treatment and honey harvesting.

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

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

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

    Feeding. When weight monitors indicate lower 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 empty beyond specially designed frames into containers below the hives, able to tap by beekeepers.

    While smart hives are simply start to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market are actually looking at the next generation of technology.

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