Since the invention with the wooden beehive 150+ years ago, 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 most recent technologies if it’s to work facing growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use as well as the spread of world pathogens.
Enter 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 on a weekly or monthly basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, therefore can alert beekeepers towards the requirement of intervention as soon as an issue situation occurs.
“Until the appearance of smart hives, beekeeping was actually 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're able to adjust your home’s heat, turn lights on and off, see who’s your door, all from the cell phone, why don't you carry out the same goes with beehives?”
Although see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management may have significant effect on the conclusion of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich with his fantastic team at Best Bees is most encouraged by their influence on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose up to 50 % in our bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives accommodate more precise monitoring and treatment, which could mean a significant improvement in colony survival rates. That’s success for everybody on the planet.”
The very first smart hives to be released utilize solar power, micro-sensors and smart phone apps to observe conditions in hives and send reports to beekeepers’ phones about 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 a sign with the stop and start of nectar flow, alerting these phones the call 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 every colony. A spectacular stop by weight can claim 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 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 produces a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, especially in the winter, is usually a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers are aware that moisture build-up is occurring, indicating a need for better ventilation and water removal.
CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate much higher degrees 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 modifications 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 provide beekeepers a sign in the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this will indicate nectar flow, as well as the have to 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 determine if bees have acquired mites while beyond your hive, alerting beekeepers from the need to treat those hives to stop mite infestation.
A number of the heightened (and costly) smart hives are designed to automate a lot of standard beekeeping work. These can include 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 suggest that a colony is preparing to swarm, automated hives can adjust hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.
Mite treatment. When sensors indicate a good mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments like formic acid. Some bee scientists are using CO2, allowing levels to climb enough in hives to kill mites, but not enough to endanger bees. Others will work on the prototype of the hive “cocoon” that raises internal temperatures to 108 degrees, that heat that kills most varroa mites.
Feeding. When weight monitors indicate 'abnormal' amounts 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 specifically created frames into containers beneath the hives, prepared to tap by beekeepers.
While smart hives are simply beginning to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the marketplace already are exploring the next generation of technology.
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