Since 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 luxury to evolve slowly, beekeeping must deploy the newest technologies if it’s to operate industry by storm growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use and also the spread of worldwide pathogens.

Enter the “Smart Hive”

-a system of scientific bee care meant to precisely monitor and manage conditions in hives. Where traditional beekeepers might visit each hive over a weekly or monthly basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, so can alert beekeepers for the requirement for intervention after a challenge situation occurs.

“Until the advent 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 on / off, see who’s at the door, all from the mobile phone, you will want to carry out the same with beehives?”

While many begin to 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 and his awesome team at the best Bees is most encouraged by their effect on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose nearly half individuals bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives accommodate more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that could mean a significant improvement in colony survival rates. That’s success for all in the world.”

The first smart hives to be removed utilize solar powered energy, micro-sensors and smart phone apps to observe conditions in hives and send reports to beekeepers’ phones on 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 a sign in the stop and start of nectar flow, alerting these phones the call to feed (when weight is low) and to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers feeling of the relative productivity of each one colony. An impressive drop in 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 must be transferred to a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive should be insulated or protected against cold winds.

Humidity. While honey production makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, specially in the winter, could be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels allow for beekeepers know that moisture build-up is occurring, indicating any excuses for better ventilation and water removal.

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

Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers to some amount of dangerous situations: specific modifications in sound patterns can often mean loosing 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 from the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this may indicate nectar flow, and also the have to relocate hives to easier areas.

Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are experimenting with a whole new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to find out if bees have acquired mites while away from hive, alerting beekeepers with the must treat those hives in order to avoid mite infestation.

Some of the more complex (and dear) smart hives are built 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 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 getting ready to swarm, automated hives can transform hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.

Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the presence of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments including formic acid. Some bee scientists are using CO2, allowing levels to climb adequate in hives to kill mites, although not high enough to endanger bees. Others work over a prototype of an 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 great deal of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to drain out of specially designed frames into containers beneath the hives, prepared to tap by beekeepers.

While smart hives are simply beginning to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market are already going through the next-gen of technology.

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