Considering that the invention from 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 posh to evolve slowly, beekeeping must deploy the newest technologies if it’s to operate in the face of 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 weekly or monthly basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, therefore can alert beekeepers towards the requirement for intervention as soon as an issue situation occurs.

“Until the arrival of smart hives, beekeeping 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 on and off, see who’s at the door, all from the smartphone, you will want to perform same with beehives?”

Even though many see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management can have significant influence on tha harsh truth 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 almost half of our own bee colonies every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives enable more precise monitoring and treatment, and that can often mean a significant improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a victory for anyone on earth.”

The first smart hives to be sold utilize solar energy, micro-sensors and smart phone apps to monitor 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 many cases, bee count.

Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers a sign with the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting them to the need to feed (when weight is low) also to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers feeling of the relative productivity of each one colony. A dramatic drop in weight can advise that the colony has swarmed, or hive continues to be knocked over by animals.

Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive should be gone to live in a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive should be insulated or resistant to 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 understand that moisture build-up is occurring, indicating the need for better ventilation and water removal.

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

Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers to a number of dangerous situations: specific modifications in sound patterns can indicate loosing a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.

Bee count. Counting the number of bees entering and leaving a hive can provide beekeepers an illustration from the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this could indicate nectar flow, as well as the must relocate hives to more fortunate areas.

Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are trying out a whole 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 from the have to treat those hives to avoid mite infestation.

Some of the higher (and costly) smart hives are created 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 advise that a colony is preparing to swarm, automated hives can alter hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.

Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the presence of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments like formic acid. Some bee scientists are tinkering with CO2, allowing levels to climb enough in hives to kill mites, and not sufficient to endanger bees. Others operate over a prototype of the 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 loads of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to empty from specially engineered frames into containers below the hives, ready to tap by beekeepers.

While smart hives are merely beginning to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market already are studying the next generation of technology.

To read more about Thung ong thong minh check out our site