Use of Modern Technologies in Beekeeping

[BagziK]

Dear beekeepers. I did not find a similar topic on Forum. So, I'll start it  .

What do you think about the use of modern technology in beekeeping such as:

Various applications,
Digital beekeeping diary. etc.

[BagziK]

In my country, one team is developing an application to find a queen bee. This would work by just scanning beehive frame with a camera and it marking queen bee in a few seconds if queen bee is on that beehive frame.

[The15thMember]

I think it depends on the technology.  I believe a few of our members use Broodminder, and I think something like that seems very handy, especially for commercial beekeepers who are managing hundreds or thousands of hives.  I feel similarly about a queen finding app.  Not necessary for a hobbyist, but probably a time-saver for someone with many hives, as long as it works well enough to actually be an improvement on a trained eye, which could be questionable. 

We have app developers occasionally come on the forum looking for feedback on new beekeeping apps, and while I appreciate their attempts to help, many of the ideas are simply unnecessary and don't address something that's a real problem for beekeepers.  For example, we had someone a few weeks ago with an app that would help analyze the weather and tell you when to inspect.  Again, not trying to put that person down, but I don't feel like that is something beekeepers need help with.  I think there are areas where technology can be helpful, but at the end of the day, we are dealing with living things here, and nothing will ever replace an old-fashioned inspection. 

[Bill Murray]

You know when I first started I put a brick on the lid, depending on how that brick was turned told me what was going on in the hive. Now I have a piece of painters tape about 3 inches long I put on the lid. If I have something I want to remember I jot it down with a sharpie lasts about a year even in the fl. sun. That sharpie, and painters tape are pretty good technology in my book, and I dont have to log in, worry about a connection, or someone tracking what Im doing.

[Ben Framed]

:Thumbs up:  I do similar Bill, (keeping the information right on the hive), marking directly on the white painted lid itself with a paint pen.. Works for me as well. Done right there on the spot, as you, as needed 'no hassle'. 

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

In my country, one team is developing an application to find a queen bee. This would work by just scanning beehive frame with a camera and it marking queen bee in a few seconds if queen bee is on that beehive frame.

This might be interesting BagziK. Are there research papers available for viewing this subject?

Thanks,

Phillip

[Bill Murray]

Will that help me find her/ tell me what frame shes on in a double deep if I want to requeen,or just tell me if shes in the hive or not? Just wondering.

[Ben Framed]

Will that help me find her/ tell me what frame shes on in a double deep if I want to requeen,or just tell me if shes in the hive or not? Just wondering.

Your question is a good question and reason I would like to learn more by reading the research papers.

Phillip

[Oldbeavo]

We have been trialing scales on our hives for about 4 years, plenty of problems.
The scales send a daily weight to my phone and so you can assess how the bees are doing. It comes as a figure and also a graph.
The scales weigh at about 5 am each day.
Handy when bees are 200 mile away. Good help in making decisions.

[beesnweeds]

I dont have any problem finding queens but would like to have a simple affordable way to check weight and temperature.  Most of all I would love to have some type of bee counter.  Looking at your phone and having a graph that showed time, date, and rough numbers of bees coming and going would tell me a lot.

[BagziK]

I think it depends on the technology.  I believe a few of our members use Broodminder, and I think something like that seems very handy, especially for commercial beekeepers who are managing hundreds or thousands of hives.  I feel similarly about a queen finding app.  Not necessary for a hobbyist, but probably a time-saver for someone with many hives, as long as it works well enough to actually be an improvement on a trained eye, which could be questionable. 

We have app developers occasionally come on the forum looking for feedback on new beekeeping apps, and while I appreciate their attempts to help, many of the ideas are simply unnecessary and don't address something that's a real problem for beekeepers.  For example, we had someone a few weeks ago with an app that would help analyze the weather and tell you when to inspect.  Again, not trying to put that person down, but I don't feel like that is something beekeepers need help with.  I think there are areas where technology can be helpful, but at the end of the day, we are dealing with living things here, and nothing will ever replace an old-fashioned inspection.

Yes, I totally agree. Application to find Queen bee, That seems like a good thing to me because it will save our time. Honestly, I write down all the observations in the apiary by hand in my notebook, although I plan to make a table in Google Sheets, which I will use as a beekeeper's diary. It will include the condition of the hives, the age of the queen,the amount of food, the strength of the colony, the date of the inspection, etc. I will share table here.

[Ben Framed]

Yes, I totally agree. Application to find Queen bee, That seems like a good thing to me because it will save our time.

How does it work, again what is the technology that 'finds the queen' ? please explain. I will refer to the question that Bill Murray ask above.

Will that help me find her/ tell me what frame shes on in a double deep if I want to requeen,or just tell me if shes in the hive or not? Just wondering.

[BagziK]

You know when I first started I put a brick on the lid, depending on how that brick was turned told me what was going on in the hive. Now I have a piece of painters tape about 3 inches long I put on the lid. If I have something I want to remember I jot it down with a sharpie lasts about a year even in the fl. sun. That sharpie, and painters tape are pretty good technology in my book, and I dont have to log in, worry about a connection, or someone tracking what Im doing.

That?s great, but we have to agree that modern technology sometimes comes in very handy. (eg: like this forum)

[BagziK]

Will that help me find her/ tell me what frame shes on in a double deep if I want to requeen,or just tell me if shes in the hive or not? Just wondering.

Your question is a good question and reason I would like to learn more by reading the research papers.

Phillip

As I understand it, the application will accurately mark queen bee in red on the camera, when the camera turns towards the frame. So, we will take out each frame then scan it with a camera and in a few seconds know if the queen bee is there. The application is still being developed, when it is finished I will share here.

[BagziK]

Will that help me find her/ tell me what frame shes on in a double deep if I want to requeen,or just tell me if shes in the hive or not? Just wondering.

Your question is a good question and reason I would like to learn more by reading the research papers.

Phillip

As I understand it, the application will accurately mark queen bee in red on the camera, when the camera turns towards the frame. So, we will take out each frame then scan it with a camera and in a few seconds know if the queen bee is there. The application is still being developed, when it is finished I will share here.

I just found there is already such an application.

It's called: Bee Queen Detector: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.bqd.queen_detector&hl=en&gl=US

I will have to test this at the first opportunity.

[BagziK]

We have been trialing scales on our hives for about 4 years, plenty of problems.
The scales send a daily weight to my phone and so you can assess how the bees are doing. It comes as a figure and also a graph.
The scales weigh at about 5 am each day.
Handy when bees are 200 mile away. Good help in making decisions.

Also, I use a scale in the apiary. Only there is no possibility to send data on phone. I have to walk to the apiary and look scale display. It seems interesting to monitor the situation.

[BagziK]

I dont have any problem finding queens but would like to have a simple affordable way to check weight and temperature.  Most of all I would love to have some type of bee counter.  Looking at your phone and having a graph that showed time, date, and rough numbers of bees coming and going would tell me a lot.

That there are scales, which give all that information. I took the cheaper option, it measures all that data, just can?t send on phone.

[Ben Framed]

I can see where this could be helpful to a 'new beekeeper' who is 'not' accustomed to 'quickly' spotting the queen, when the queen is in plain sight not hiding 'beneath' other bees. Or if the queen can be distinguished from worker bees if she is the 'same color' as the other bees as is the case at times?

Perhaps you can check this details of this app, find the answers to these questions, and report back?  If the answers to these questions are yes, then it might be worth looking into further..  If the answer is 'no' to these questions, I do not see much of an advantage for the seasoned beekeeper.


Thanks,

Phillip

[BagziK]

I can see where this could be helpful to a 'new beekeeper' who is 'not' accustomed to 'quickly' spotting the queen, when the queen is in plain sight not hiding 'beneath' other bees. Or if the queen can be distinguished from worker bees if she is the 'same color' as the other bees as is the case at times?

Perhaps you can check this details of this app, find the answers to these questions, and report back?  If the answers to these questions are yes, then it might be worth looking into further..  If the answer is 'no' to these questions, I do not see much of an advantage for the seasoned beekeeper.


Thanks,

Phillip

I totally agree, This would be helpful for beginners. I remember when I started beekeeping how hard it was for me to find a queen bee.

I will definitely write the details after the research. Honestly, I don?t think it?s going to be that successful. I think it will when scanning the frame, the application will mix the drone and queen bee.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks Bagzik you reported on an app that has been developed in reply #14, (to be clear), are you speaking of two different apps. One which is developed and one which is still in development?

BagziK
I don?t think it?s going to be that successful. I think it will when scanning the frame, the application will mix the drone and queen bee.

Good point but technology is still advancing so maybe this goal can still be achieved along with my two questions . (I am being optimistic lol).
That is why I am 'still interested' in understanding the 'technology' of this 'new developing application';

I realize the application is not yet fully developed as you have stated, but one must assume 'basic knowledge' of the application is known by the inventors or they would not be talking about it.... Do you by any chance know the people, or are you associated with any of folks which are developing this 'new' application?

Phillip