Because the 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 luxury 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 made to precisely monitor and manage conditions in hives. Where traditional beekeepers might visit each hive over a regular basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, and thus can alert beekeepers on the requirement of intervention the moment a problem situation occurs.
“Until the arrival of smart hives, beekeeping really 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're able to adjust your home’s heat, turn lights off and on, see who’s at your front door, all from a smartphone, why don't you do the same goes with beehives?”
While many understand the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management might have significant affect the bottom line of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich with his fantastic team at the best Bees is most encouraged by their effect on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose almost half in our bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives permit more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that could mean an important improvement in colony survival rates. That’s victory for all on this planet.”
The first smart hives to be sold utilize solar technology, micro-sensors and mobile phone apps to evaluate conditions in hives and send reports to beekeepers’ phones around 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 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 feeling of the relative productivity of each and every colony. A remarkable stop by weight can suggest that the colony has swarmed, or even the hive may be knocked over by animals.
Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive needs to be moved to a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive needs to be insulated or shielded from cold winds.
Humidity. While honey production produces a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, especially in the winter, could be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels allow beekeepers know that moisture build-up is happening, indicating the need 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 for the have to ventilate hives.
Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers into a number of dangerous situations: specific modifications in sound patterns can indicate the losing of a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.
Bee count. Counting the amount of bees entering and leaving a hive will give beekeepers a sign of the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this could indicate nectar flow, as well as the need to 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 ascertain if bees have acquired mites while outside of the hive, alerting beekeepers of the need to treat those hives to avoid mite infestation.
Some of the more advanced (and dear) smart hives are made to automate much of standard beekeeping work. These normally include environmental control, swarm prevention, mite treatment and honey harvesting.
Environmental control. When data indicate a hive is just 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 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 including formic acid. Some bee scientists are trying out CO2, allowing levels to climb high enough in hives to kill mites, and not enough to endanger bees. Others are working on a prototype of a hive “cocoon” that raises internal temperatures to 108 degrees, a level 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 good amount of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to empty from engineered frames into containers below the hives, able to tap by beekeepers.
While smart hives are merely start to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market are actually looking at the next-gen of technology.
More information about Thung ong thong minh view this popular website