Hive Scale Project: can electronic hive scales make us better beekeepers? Annie Krueger and Allen Olmstead Bayer Crop Science [email protected], [email protected] Who are we? Annie Krueger [email protected] • Beekeeper “Can scale data provide insight into differences in floral landscapes?”
Who are we? Allen Olmstead [email protected] • Beekeeper • Ecotoxicologist
“As a beekeeper, can I make better management decisions with this data, can I learn more about my bees?” What is an electronic hive scale?
SolutionBee Scales Reads and stores weight data every 15 minutes, which can be accessed by a Bluetooth enabled device and uploaded to the “cloud” Where does the data go?
What is the Hive Scale Project? What did we do? – We put these scales in the hands of local beekeepers!
What is the Hive Scale Project? What did we do? – We put these scales in the hands of local beekeepers!
Can hive scales help beekeepers learn from each other? What is the Hive Scale Project?
How do I look at the data? Look for patterns of interest! Hourly Daily/Weekly Monthly
140
120
100
80
60 Weight (lbs) Weight 40
20
0 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes Johnston-2 170 160
150 140 130
Weight (lbs) Weight 120 110 100 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes
Wake-8 115 110 105 100 95
Weight (lbs) Weight 90 85 80 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes Wake-2 135 130
125 120 115
Weight (lbs) Weight 110 105 100 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes Caswell-Prospect Hill 400
350
300
250 Weight (lbs) Weight 200
150 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes
Wake-4 135 130
125 120 115
Weight (lbs) Weight 110 105 100 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes
Wake-4 135 130
125 120 115
Weight (lbs) Weight 110 105 100 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-hourly changes – Management (abrupt changes) • Supplemental feedings • Addition/removal of equipment • Hive inspections – Biology • Swarming
What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-daily/weekly changes
Orange-3 130 125 120 115 110 105
Weight (lbs) Weight 100 95 90 85 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-daily/weekly changes
Orange-1 130 125 120
) 115 lbs 110 105
Weight ( Weight 100 95 90 85 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-daily/weekly changes
What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-daily/weekly changes
What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-daily/weekly changes – Biology • Foraging • Consumption • Nectar conditioning – Environment • Weather – Rain – Humidity?
Photo credit to Jessie Louque @queenofthebees2016 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-interest-daily/weekly changes – Weight of a hive is driven largely by honey
What can I see in the data across hives?
145
140
135 Durham-2 Halifax-1 130 Halifax-2 125 Halifax-3 Johnston-2 Weight (lbs) Weight 120 Nash-2 Wake-3 115 Wake-7 110 Wake-9
105 What can I see in the data across hives?
115
110 Caswell-2 105 Durham-1
Granville-1 100 Orange-1 Orange-2 95
Weight (lbs) Weight Orange-Ref1
90 Wake-1 Wake-4 85 Wake-8 Wake-12 80 What can I see in the data?
Empty Equipment 22
21
20
19
Weight (lbs) Weight 18
17
16 What can I see in the data?
Empty Equipment 20
19
18
17 Weight (lbs) Weight
16
15 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-monthly changes Orange-3 215
210 205
200 195 190 Weight (lbs) Weight 185 180 175 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-monthly changes 215 Alamance-1 205 195 Caswell- Prospect Hill 185 Caswell-1
175 Martin-2 Weight (lbs) Weight 165 Orange-3
155 Orange-Ref2
145 Wake-Ref1 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-monthly changes Nash-2 175
165
155
145
Weight (lbs) Weight 135
125
115 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-monthly changes 175 Alexander-1 165 Halifax-1 Halifax-3 155 Johnston-2 145 Martin-3 Martin-4 Weight (lbs) Weight 135 Nash-2 Wake-2 125 Wake-3 Wake-7 115 Wake-11 What can I see in the data? Look for patterns of interest-monthly changes – Biology • Nectar flow-weight of a hive is driven largely by honey
Photo credit Neil Roberson, Enfield Bee Farm (left and center), Allen Olmstead (right) What can I see in the data across regions? Central Piedmont Alamance-1 370 Chatham-1 Durham-1 320 Durham-2 270 Durham-3 Durham-4 220 Orange-1 Orange-2 170
Weight (lbs) Weight Orange-3 120 Orange-4 Orange-Ref1 70 Orange-Ref2 Caswell-Prospect Hill 20 Caswell-1 Caswell-2 What can I see in the data across hives? Eastern Piedmont 300 270 Franklin-1 Franklin-2 240 Granville-1
210 Halifax-1 180 Halifax-2 150 Halifax-3
Weight (lbs) Weight Johnston-1 120 Johnston-2 90 Nash-1 60 Nash-2 30 Nash-3 Wilson-1 What can I see in the data across hives?
Wake County 275 Wake-1 250 Wake-2 Wake-3 225 Wake-4 200 Wake-5 175 Wake-6 150 Wake-7 125
Weight (lbs) Weight Wake-8 100 Wake-9 75 Wake-10 50 Wake-11 25 Wake-12 Wake-Ref1 Can the landscape explain trends? Can the landscape explain trends? Can the landscape explain trends? Can the landscape explain trends? What do I want to be able to see in the data?
Patterns for broodless hives Patterns leading up to a swarm Patterns in weather that will affect the flow
What do I want to be able to see in the data?
Patterns for broodless hives Patterns leading up to a swarm Patterns in weather that will affect the flow
Let’s hear from you!
1) What do you see as the advantages of using hive scales? 2) What new insight have you gained? 3) What new questions do you have?
Let’s hear from you!
1) What do you see as the advantages of using hive scales? 2) What new insight have you gained? 3) What new questions do you have?
Let’s hear from you! 1) What do you see as the advantages of using hive scales?
• “I like everything about the project, but what I like most is the wealth of local information I can gain from literally only a few minutes worth of effort every week.”-Nash county • “I like the real time data and the information one can obtain from it.”-Alexander county • “The scales have helped me understand what is going on in the hive. Seeing the scale weight gain or loss often confirms what I interpret while doing an inspection. ”-Johnston county
Let’s hear from you!
1) What do you see as the advantages of using hive scales? 2) What new insight have you gained? 3) What new questions do you have?
Let’s hear from you! 2) What new insight have you gained? • “How susceptible the bees are to interruptions in the nectar flow and how important it for a hive to be strong to survive.” • “I've learned that there is secondary nectar flow I wasn't aware of and I wonder where it is coming from.” • “My personal biggest insight was the time frame it took from when my scale hive swarmed, till they fully recovered and began packing on the weight again.”
Let’s hear from you!
1) What do you see as the advantages of using hive scales? 2) What new insight have you gained? 3) What new questions do you have?
Let’s hear from you! 3) What new questions do you have? • “I hope my biggest question will be answered soon when I am able to see what effect the cotton and soy bean crops around my house have on my honey production. I hope the scales may allow me to better time getting supers off when the flow is ending to avoid the dark bitter fall forb honey mixing in with the sweet clear crop honey.” • “Correlation with weather events would be interesting.”
Thank you!