Because 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 recent technologies if it’s to work industry by storm growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use and 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 on a regular basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, so can alert beekeepers to the requirement for intervention the moment a problem situation occurs.
“Until the appearance of smart hives, beekeeping really was a mechanical process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees into the Internet of Things. When you can adjust your home’s heat, turn lights off and on, see who’s for your entry way, all from your mobile phone, why don't you carry out the do i think the beehives?”
While many start to see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management will surely have significant effect on tha harsh truth of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich with his fantastic team at Best Bees is most encouraged by their affect bee health. “In the U.S. we lose almost half in our bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives enable more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that can often mean a tremendous improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a win for everyone in the world.”
The first smart hives to be removed utilize solar technology, micro-sensors and cell phone apps to monitor 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 the crooks to the requirement 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 claim that the colony has swarmed, or perhaps the hive has become knocked over by animals.
Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive needs to be transferred 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 makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, mainly in the winter, is usually a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels let beekeepers realize that moisture build-up is going on, indicating a need for better ventilation and water removal.
CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate greater 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 to some amount of dangerous situations: specific alterations in sound patterns can indicate the loss of a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.
Bee count. Counting the number of bees entering and leaving a hive can give beekeepers a signal from 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 using a brand new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to discover if bees have found mites while beyond your hive, alerting beekeepers with the should treat those hives to prevent mite infestation.
Many of the heightened (and dear) smart hives are designed to automate most of standard beekeeping work. These may 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 suggest that a colony is preparing 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 for example formic acid. Some bee scientists are tinkering with CO2, allowing levels to climb high enough in hives to kill mites, and not sufficient to endanger bees. Others operate on 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 low levels of honey, automated hives can release stores of sugar water.
Honey harvesting. When weight levels indicate loads of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to drain from specifically created frames into containers under the hives, ready to tap by beekeepers.
While smart hives are just starting out be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the market are actually studying the next generation of technology.
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