Smart Bee Hives: A Radical Of Beekeeping
Since invention of 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 operate when confronted with growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use as well as the spread of world pathogens.
Type 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 with a weekly or monthly basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, so can alert beekeepers on the requirement of intervention when a problem situation occurs.
“Until the arrival of smart hives, beekeeping was an analog process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees in to the Internet of products. If you possibly could adjust your home’s heat, turn lights don and doff, see who’s at your doorway, all from your smartphone, have you thought to carry out the same with beehives?”
Even though many begin to see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management might have significant effect on the conclusion of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich and his awesome team at Best Bees is most encouraged by their affect bee health. “In the U.S. we lose nearly half of our bee colonies annually.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives allow for more precise monitoring and treatment, and that can often mean an important improvement in colony survival rates. That’s success for all on earth.”
The very first smart hives to be released utilize solar energy, micro-sensors and cell phone apps to monitor 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 even, bee count.
Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers an illustration with the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting them to the need to feed (when weight is low) and also to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers feeling of the relative productivity of each colony. A spectacular drop in weight can advise that the colony has swarmed, or even the hive has been knocked over by animals.
Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive must be transferred 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, mainly in the winter, is usually a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers realize that moisture build-up is happening, indicating an excuse for better ventilation and water removal.
CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate better numbers 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 with a variety of dangerous situations: specific adjustments to sound patterns can often mean loosing a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.
Bee count. Counting the volume of bees entering and leaving a hive may give beekeepers an illustration in the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this will indicate nectar flow, and also the need to relocate hives to more fortunate areas.
Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are using a whole new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to determine if bees have grabbed mites while away from hive, alerting beekeepers with the have to treat those hives to avoid mite infestation.
A number of the more complex (and expensive) smart hives are designed to automate high of standard beekeeping work. These may include 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 advise that a colony is preparing to swarm, automated hives can transform hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.
Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the existence of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments like formic acid. Some bee scientists are tinkering with CO2, allowing levels to climb high enough in hives to kill mites, but not adequate to endanger bees. Others will work on a prototype of a hive “cocoon” that raises internal temperatures to 108 degrees, a degree 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 an abundance of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to empty from specifically created frames into containers below the hives, able to tap by beekeepers.
While smart hives are merely starting out be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the industry are actually exploring the next generation of technology.
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