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Because the invention with 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 luxurious to evolve slowly, beekeeping must deploy the most recent technologies if it’s to function in the face of growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use along with the spread of global pathogens.

Type in 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 the regular basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, so can alert beekeepers for the need for intervention as soon as an issue situation occurs.

“Until the arrival of smart hives, beekeeping was really an analog process.” Says our founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich. “With technology we’re bringing bees to the Internet of products. If you can adjust your home’s heat, turn lights on and off, see who’s at the doorway, all from a cell phone, why not perform the do i think the beehives?”

While many start to see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management might have significant affect tha harsh truth 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 in our bee colonies each and every year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives permit more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that could mean a significant improvement in colony survival rates. That’s victory for all on the planet.”

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

Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers a signal from the stop and start of nectar flow, alerting them to the need 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 and every colony. A remarkable stop by weight can suggest that the colony has swarmed, or perhaps 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 transferred to a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive must be insulated or protected against cold winds.

Humidity. While honey production makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, specially in the winter, can be quite a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels let beekeepers are aware that moisture build-up is occurring, indicating a need for better ventilation and water removal.

CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate higher numbers of CO2 than humans, excessive levels can kill them. Monitoring CO2 levels can alert beekeepers to the should ventilate hives.

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

Bee count. Counting the quantity of bees entering and leaving a hive will give beekeepers an illustration with the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this can indicate nectar flow, and also the have to relocate hives to more lucrative areas.

Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are experimenting with a new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to discover if bees have picked up mites while beyond your hive, alerting beekeepers with the have to treat those hives to prevent mite infestation.

Some of the heightened (and dear) smart hives are built 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 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 transform hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.

Mite treatment. When sensors indicate the existence of mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments like formic acid. Some bee scientists are experimenting with CO2, allowing levels to climb high enough in hives to kill mites, although not high 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 lower 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 empty from specially designed frames into containers below the hives, able to tap by beekeepers.

While smart hives are just start to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers on the market already are exploring the next generation of technology.

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