For years I have been curious about how sensors placed in beehives could provide a beekeeper with more information about how their colonies live and behave to both internal and external factors. Think: genius hive! [1]
In general, sensors can collect information, communicate information or can both collect and share information. The Internet of Things (IoTs) describes an interconnection of sensor-based devices that communicate and share information. Within the last decade this convergence of technology, communications and beehive monitoring helped to initiate exciting and innovative devices that provide beehive data in both real-time and long-term measurement and evaluation. [2] [3]
Potential internal data sensors include:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Sound, including frequency and intensity
- Air pressure
Potential external data collection includes:
- Hive weight
- Weather conditions, including temperature, humidity, wind speed and air pressure
If this data is available, think about how valuable it could be to the beekeeper!
- Digital scales can measure the hive’s weight. During a honey flow, it is important to understand when supers need to be added so the colony is not honey bound which can trigger a swarm. During the winter, hive weight helps the beekeeper know how food stores are being consumed. Drastic, sudden weight changes can indicate a critical issue such as the hive has tipped over, for example due to wind, or theft has occurred.
- Two methods of honey bee communication is through sounds and vibrations. These signals are related to events such as swarming and queen behavior during swarming. Microphones record frequencies and amplitudes that can, for example, indicate a hive predator, loss of a queen[4], a swarming event (pre and post swarm) and the piping and tooting of emerging queen bees and worker bees. Accelerometer sensors record hive vibrations, for example waggle dances indicating a body of available resources.
- Temperature and humidity are important parameters that influence the bees’ health, the brood, and the productivity of the beehive. When temperature and humidity values are outside normal beehive values, the colony’s honey production decreases and the mortality rate increases. Pest and disease rates are affected too. For example, during the winter a colony will consume honey to generate heat in an effort to raise the temperature of the cluster and brood. The temperature and humidity sensor data could alert the beekeeper that additional exterior insulation, a wind break, or ventilation is needed.
- Oxygen levels are important for honey and brood production. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is linked to the bees’ metabolism, as a change in the respiratory emission of CO2 is associated to metabolic heating of a bee in its normal activity.[1] When CO2 levels within the hive reach much higher levels than the normal atmospheric levels, honey bees begin to fan to expel the CO2-rich air in an effort to keep the CO2 at an acceptable level.
With this information, the beekeeper can be proactive, instead of being in a constant reactive state, in their management of the beehive. Their actions can preemptively address issues before they become unmanageable.
Links and further reading. Some journals require a paid subscription or access through an educational institution:
- PEERING INTO THE FUTURE A PATH TO THE GENIUS HIVE: https://www.beeculture.com/peering-into-the-future-a-path-to-the-genius-hive/
- A Smart Sensor-Based Measurement System for Advanced Bee Hive Monitoring – PMC: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7248914/
- Self-Powered Smart Beehive Monitoring and Control System (SBMaCS): https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/10/3522
- Identification of queen-less beehives using signal enhancement techniques and neural networks: https://www.researchbank.ac.nz/handle/10652/5419
- Technical Implementation of IoT Concept for Bee Colony Monitoring: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8760180
- IOHIVE: Architecture and Infrastructure of an IOT System for Beehive Monitoring and an Interactive Journaling Wearable Device for Beekeepers: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-37117-2_11
- Energy-Efficient Wireless Weight Sensor for Remote Beehive Monitoring: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8468497/
- BeeLive: The IoT platform of Beemon monitoring and alerting system for beehives: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772375523001600
- A digital beehive could warn beekeepers when their hives are under attack: https://theconversation.com/a-digital-beehive-could-warn-beekeepers-when-their-hives-are-under-attack-54375