Smart Bee Hives: A Revolutionary Of Beekeeping
Since 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 luxury 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 and also the spread of global pathogens. Enter in the “Smart Hive” -a system of scientific bee care designed to precisely monitor and manage conditions in hives. Where traditional beekeepers might visit each hive over a regular basis, smart hives monitor colonies 24/7, therefore can alert beekeepers towards the need for intervention after an issue 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 in to the Internet of Things. When you can adjust your home’s heat, turn lights don and doff, see who’s at your front door, all from the cell phone, why don't you carry out the same with beehives?” Although see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management can have significant effect on tha harsh truth of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich and his team at the best Bees is most encouraged by their influence on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose almost half in our bee colonies each year.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives enable more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that could mean a tremendous improvement in colony survival rates. That’s victory for anyone on earth.” The very first smart hives to be released utilize solar energy, micro-sensors and cell phone apps to monitor 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 perhaps, bee count. Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers an indication with the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting the crooks to the need to feed (when weight is low) and to harvest honey (when weight is high). Comparing weight across hives gives beekeepers a sense the relative productivity of each colony. A spectacular stop by weight can advise that the colony has swarmed, or even the hive continues to be knocked over by animals. Temperature. Monitoring hive temperature can alert beekeepers to dangerous conditions: excessive heat indicating the hive ought to be gone after a shady spot or ventilated; unusually low heat indicating the hive needs to be insulated or protected against cold winds. Humidity. While honey production makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, especially in the winter, could be a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers understand that moisture build-up is happening, indicating any excuses for better ventilation and water removal. CO2 levels. While bees can tolerate higher degrees of CO2 than humans, excessive levels can kill them. Monitoring CO2 levels can alert beekeepers to the need to ventilate hives. Acoustics. Acoustic monitoring within hives can alert beekeepers with a amount of dangerous situations: specific alterations in sound patterns can indicate loosing a queen, swarming tendency, disease, or hive raiding. Bee count. Counting the amount of bees entering and leaving a hive can give beekeepers a sign from the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this could indicate nectar flow, and also the have 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 discover if bees have picked up mites while beyond your hive, alerting beekeepers of the should treat those hives to stop mite infestation. Some of the more advanced (and expensive) smart hives are created to automate a lot of standard beekeeping work. These may 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 suggest that a colony is preparing to swarm, automated hives can adjust 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 enough in hives to kill mites, and not adequate to endanger bees. Others operate on the prototype of your 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 an abundance of honey, self-harvesting hives can split cells, allowing honey to drain beyond engineered frames into containers below the hives, prepared to tap by beekeepers. While smart hives are simply beginning to be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the market are actually going through the next generation of technology. Check out about Cau ong thong minh take a look at this popular web page