Since 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 most recent technologies if it’s to operate when confronted with growing habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use along with the spread of worldwide pathogens.

Enter 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 so can alert beekeepers on the requirement for intervention as soon as an issue 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 to the Internet of Things. If you possibly could adjust your home’s heat, turn lights don and doff, see who’s your door, all from the cell phone, why not carry out the same goes with beehives?”

While many start to see the economic potential of smart hives-more precise pollinator management will surely have significant influence on the conclusion of farmers, orchardists and commercial beekeepers-Wilson-Rich with his fantastic team at the best Bees is most encouraged by their effect on bee health. “In the U.S. we lose almost half in our bee colonies annually.“ Says Wilson-Rich. “Smart hives enable more precise monitoring and treatment, knowning that could mean a significant improvement in colony survival rates. That’s success for everyone on earth.”

The initial smart hives to be sold utilize solar powered energy, micro-sensors and smart 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 perhaps, bee count.

Weight. Monitoring hive weight gives beekeepers a signal from the start and stop of nectar flow, alerting these to the requirement 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 one colony. A remarkable drop in weight can suggest that the colony has swarmed, or perhaps the hive may be knocked over by animals.

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

Humidity. While honey production makes a humid environment in hives, excessive humidity, especially in the winter, can be quite a danger to colonies. Monitoring humidity levels can let beekeepers know that moisture build-up is happening, indicating an excuse for better ventilation and water removal.

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

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

Bee count. Counting the quantity of bees entering and leaving a hive may give beekeepers an indication of the size and health of colonies. For commercial beekeepers this will indicate nectar flow, as well as the need to relocate hives to more fortunate areas.

Mite monitoring. Australian scientists are experimenting with a brand new gateway to hives that where bees entering hives are photographed and analyzed to determine if bees have found mites while away from hive, alerting beekeepers from the have to treat those hives to stop mite infestation.

Some of the higher (and costly) smart hives are made to automate a lot 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 suggest that a colony is getting ready to swarm, automated hives can change hive conditions, preventing a swarm from occurring.

Mite treatment. When sensors indicate a good mites, automated hives can release anti-mite treatments like formic acid. Some bee scientists are experimenting with CO2, allowing levels to climb adequate in hives to kill mites, however, not enough to endanger bees. Others work with a prototype of a 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 empty out of specially engineered frames into containers underneath the hives, willing to tap by beekeepers.

While smart hives are only starting out be adopted by beekeepers, forward thinkers in the industry are already studying the next generation of technology.

To read more about Thung ong thong minh go to the best net page