Considering that the invention with the wooden beehive 150+ in the past, 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 up-to-date technologies if it’s to perform industry by storm growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use as well as the spread of global 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 regular basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, and so can alert beekeepers for the dependence on intervention the moment an issue situation occurs.
“Until the advent of smart hives, beekeeping was really a mechanical process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees in to the Internet of Things. If you possibly could adjust your home’s heat, turn lights on / off, see who’s for your doorway, all from your smartphone, why don't you perform the same goes with beehives?”
Although many understand the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management might have significant effect 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 nearly half of our own bee colonies each year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives accommodate more precise monitoring and treatment, and that can often mean an important improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a victory for anyone on the planet.”
The first smart hives to be released utilize solar power, 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 many cases, bee count.
Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers a signal of the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting the crooks to the need to feed (when weight is low) and to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers a sense of the relative productivity of each one colony. An impressive stop by weight can claim 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 needs to be gone after 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, can be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers realize that moisture build-up is going on, indicating the need for better ventilation and water removal.
CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate better levels of CO2 than humans, excessive levels can kill them. Monitoring CO2 levels can alert beekeepers for the must ventilate hives.
Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers with a variety of dangerous situations: specific alterations in sound patterns could mean losing a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.
Bee count. Counting the quantity of bees entering and leaving a hive can provide beekeepers a signal of the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this will indicate nectar flow, along with the should relocate hives to more lucrative areas.
Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are experimenting with a new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to discover if bees have found mites while outside the hive, alerting beekeepers of the have to treat those hives to avoid mite infestation.
Many of the more complex (and costly) smart hives are built to automate high of standard beekeeping work. These normally include environmental control, swarm prevention, mite treatment and honey harvesting.
Environmental control. When data indicate a hive is way 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 getting ready 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 for example formic acid. Some bee scientists are tinkering with CO2, allowing levels to climb adequate in hives to kill mites, but not high enough to endanger bees. Others work with a prototype of your hive “cocoon” that raises internal temperatures to 108 degrees, a degree of 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 great deal of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to drain away from specially designed frames into containers under the hives, prepared to tap by beekeepers.
While smart hives are only starting out be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the marketplace happen to be exploring the next generation of technology.
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