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Since invention in 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 latest technologies if it’s to work when confronted with growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use along with the spread of world pathogens.

Type in the “Smart Hive”

-a system of scientific bee care built 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, therefore can alert beekeepers on the requirement for intervention when a difficulty situation occurs.

“Until the arrival 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. If you can adjust your home’s heat, turn lights don and doff, see who’s at the door, all from your mobile phone, you will want to do the same goes with beehives?”

Although many see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management may have significant impact on the conclusion of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich and his team at the best Bees is most encouraged by their effect on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose nearly half of our own bee colonies every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives permit more precise monitoring and treatment, and that can often mean a substantial improvement in colony survival rates. That’s victory for everybody on this planet.”

The 1st smart hives to be released utilize solar energy, micro-sensors and mobile phone apps to monitor conditions in hives and send reports to beekeepers’ phones for the conditions in each 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 signal with the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting them to the requirement to feed (when weight is low) and also to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers feeling of the relative productivity of each colony. A spectacular stop by weight can advise that the colony has swarmed, or 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 ought to be insulated or protected against cold winds.

Humidity. While honey production makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, mainly in the winter, can be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels let beekeepers know that moisture build-up is going on, indicating any excuses 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 towards the should ventilate hives.

Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers to some number of dangerous situations: specific changes in sound patterns can often mean the loss of a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding.

Bee count. Counting the number of bees entering and leaving a hive may give beekeepers a signal from the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this could indicate nectar flow, and the need to relocate hives to more lucrative areas.

Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are trying out a brand new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to determine if bees have grabbed mites while away from hive, alerting beekeepers from the need to treat those hives to prevent mite infestation.

Many of the heightened (and expensive) smart hives are made 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 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 getting ready 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 using CO2, allowing levels to climb enough in hives to kill mites, but not high enough to endanger bees. Others are working over a 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 an abundance of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to empty beyond specially engineered frames into containers beneath the hives, prepared to tap by beekeepers.

While smart hives are only starting out be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market already are going through the next generation of technology.

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