Smart Bee Hives: A Considerable Of Beekeeping
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 luxurious to evolve slowly, beekeeping must deploy the newest technologies if it’s to perform in the face of growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use and also the spread of world pathogens.
Enter in the “Smart Hive”
-a system of scientific bee care built 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, therefore can alert beekeepers on the requirement for intervention after an issue situation occurs.
“Until the appearance of smart hives, beekeeping was a mechanical process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees in the Internet of Things. If you can adjust your home’s heat, turn lights on and off, see who’s your entry way, all from a cell phone, have you thought to do the do i think the beehives?”
Although see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management may have significant influence on tha harsh truth of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich and his team at Best Bees is most encouraged by their effect on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose up to 50 % individuals bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives accommodate more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that can often mean a substantial improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a win for everybody in the world.”
The first smart hives to be sold utilize solar technology, micro-sensors and cell phone apps to observe 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 many cases, bee count.
Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers a sign from the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting them to the call to feed (when weight is low) also to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers a sense of the relative productivity of each one colony. A dramatic stop by weight can advise that the colony has swarmed, or perhaps the hive has been 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 ought to be insulated or shielded from cold winds.
Humidity. While honey production makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, especially in the winter, can be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers know that moisture build-up is happening, indicating a need for better ventilation and water removal.
CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate greater amounts of CO2 than humans, excessive levels can kill them. Monitoring CO2 levels can alert beekeepers to the must ventilate hives.
Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers to some amount of dangerous situations: specific adjustments to sound patterns could mean losing a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.
Bee count. Counting the volume of bees entering and leaving a hive may give beekeepers a sign in the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this will indicate nectar flow, along with the must relocate hives to easier areas.
Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are trying out a brand new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to find out if bees have picked up mites while beyond your hive, alerting beekeepers of the should treat those hives in order to avoid mite infestation.
A number of the higher (and dear) smart hives are made to automate high 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 claim that a colony is getting ready to swarm, automated hives can change hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.
Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the presence of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments like formic acid. Some bee scientists are experimenting with CO2, allowing levels to climb enough in hives to kill mites, although not enough to endanger bees. Others will work on the prototype of your 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 away from engineered frames into containers below the hives, willing to tap by beekeepers.
While smart hives are simply beginning to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the market happen to be going through the next-gen of technology.
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