hive tracks

[ronwhite3030]

does anyone use hivetracks.com?

[Atomic]

Interesting site.  Seems like it could be useful although I'm not sure how many people are going to want to store their info online.  I think if this was offered in a stand-alone app, even an iPad app, it would probably be more popular.  It could be useful to access your hive info from any net-enabled PC, so maybe if you could enable a user to backup their data locally somehow then that would suffice.  I like the weather feature.  All that being said, I have yet to get hives of my own, so take my feedback with a grain of salt.

[ronwhite3030]

I do have to say I like it so far, I added my single hive and split and it is nice to help me keep records that I would not have taken if I didnt have hive tracks.

[bigbearomaha]

it's ok if all you use is Langs and "traditional" methods.

I am waiting for the next phase when the developer says he will step it up to include tbh's and minimal/natural methods as well.

Big Bear

[Hemlock]

One can use 'Word' or 'Excel' to keep an electric diary.  Copy & Paste greatly reduce writing time.  If you're worried about losing it then open a free blog (available everywhere on the internet) and post you diary there.  Their servers are all backed up so you can't lose any data.  I update it every time i enter the hive, all inputs & outputs.  It looks like this.

May 25, 10
BB, DHB2, DHB1, IC, VB, T-cover
DHB1 = 10 frames, Crimped-wire foundation (old)
DHB2 = 10 frames, Plasticell foundation
MHS1 = 9 frames, Plasticell foundation
Population = critical, low, moderate, (good), high

    * Add metal Queen Excluder (QE)
    * Add 9 frame Medium Honey Super (MHS)
    * Add mostly drawn out Plasticell frames
    * Spray frames with sugar syrup


April 15, 10
BB, DHB2, DHB1, HTF, VB, IC, T-cover
DHB1 = 10 frames, Crimped-wire foundation (old)
DHB2 = 10 frames, Plasticell foundation
Queen spotted = (yes), no, didn't look
Brood Present= (yes), no, didn't look
Brood Pattern = solid, (spotty), n/a
Frames with Brood = 8/20
Drone Cells = (yes), no
Population = critical, low, moderate, (good), high
Condensation = (none), minor, major
Current Pests = Black ants

    * Remove HTF
    * Queen on frame #5
    * Marked the Queen with a Light-Blue pen
    * Remove undrawn Pierco Drone frame (bottom box)
    * Add re-waxed Pierco drone frame (bottom box)
    * Remove 2 Old crimped-wire frames (top box)
    * Add 2 re-waxed Plasticell frames (top box)
    * Remove 1 undrawn Plasticell frame (bottom box)
    * Add 1 re-waxed Plasticell frame (bottom box)

[AllenF]

The price seems right.   If you have the time to upload all your info every time you open a hive.   A little more complicated than the brick on top method.   But a good way to keep up with your equipment and bees.  I don't see myself doing it.

[tandemrx]

I set up my apiary on a similar online service called beetight (www.beetight.com).  (this service lets you track up to 6 hives for free, $15/year for up to 1000 hives and they do have an iphone app, but I have a windows smartphone, so I think I can still use the web enabled application).

I theory I could add inspections via my smart phone, but haven't tried that.

I haven't really started using this service though - kind of put it aside when I exceeded the 6 hives limit and wasn't ready to pony up for a service I wasn't sure I would use.  I do like the idea.

I battle with keeping good notes.  Right now I use a three ring binder, and sometimes I turn on an audio recorder on my smartphone so I can just "dictate" what I see and then transcribe it later.

With gloves on it is hard to write or even use my smart phone to record. 

And, sadly, once I move away from the hive I immediately forget what I saw  :shock:.  Or sometimes I forget my notebook.

So I like the idea of check boxes that I can use on my smart phone, but then again, I like having all my info on paper so that I can easily review past info when I am out at the hives (I guess I could do this from the smartphone, but it gets a bit cumbersome when you have a few hives and you need to move between tabs or whatever on a web site.

Anyone else use beetight?

[AliciaH]

I have not tried the on-line services.  I've been taking notes and then putting them in excel on a flashdrive.  I have a different worksheet for each hive.  I like doing it this way so far because I can take my stuff with me and input anywhere, no internet access needed!

I'm planning on moving up to a Droid when my contract ends next summer, and its always fun to have a more technology-oriented system.  But in all honosty, if you saw the amount of propolis on my pens, you wouldn't want me in the apiary with my new phone! :)

[hardwood]

I use the good ol' stick method. A stick in the entrance means no queen, a stick on top means check queenie, two sticks add a super and so on. It works for me :-D

Scott

[AllenF]

Sticks?   Don't ya'll have bricks in Florida?

[hardwood]

Try carrying 300 or so bricks to the biggest yard :-D

Scott