• Clemensen Erickson posted an update 4 weeks ago

    Because the invention from 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 posh to evolve slowly, beekeeping must deploy the latest technologies if it’s to operate industry by storm growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use and the spread of worldwide pathogens.

    Go into 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 with a weekly or monthly basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, and thus can alert beekeepers towards the requirement of intervention after a problem situation occurs.

    “Until the advent of smart hives, beekeeping was actually 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’re able to adjust your home’s heat, turn lights don and doff, see who’s your door, all from the mobile phone, why not perform the same goes with beehives?”

    Although many begin to see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management will surely have significant impact on the conclusion of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich and his awesome team at the best Bees is most encouraged by their impact on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose almost half of our bee colonies each year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives enable more precise monitoring and treatment, understanding that could mean a substantial improvement in colony survival rates. That’s a win for all on this planet.”

    The first smart hives to be removed utilize solar energy, micro-sensors and cell 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 in many cases, bee count.

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

    Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive must be gone after a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive must be insulated or shielded from cold winds.

    Humidity. While honey production generates a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, specially in the winter, is usually a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers realize that moisture build-up is happening, indicating any excuses for better ventilation and water removal.

    CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate much higher degrees 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 variety of dangerous situations: specific adjustments to sound patterns could mean the loss of a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.

    Bee count. Counting the number of bees entering and leaving a hive will give beekeepers a sign with the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this may indicate nectar flow, along with the should relocate hives to more productive areas.

    Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are trying out a brand new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to find out if bees have picked up mites while away from hive, alerting beekeepers of the should treat those hives to avoid mite infestation.

    Some of the more advanced (and dear) smart hives are designed 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 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 declare that a colony is getting ready to swarm, automated hives can alter hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.

    Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the use of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments including formic acid. Some bee scientists are experimenting with CO2, allowing levels to climb high enough in hives to kill mites, but not enough to endanger bees. Others will work on the prototype of the 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 a great deal of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to empty away from specifically created frames into containers underneath the hives, prepared to tap by beekeepers.

    While smart hives are merely start to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market are actually studying the next-gen of technology.

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