Monitoring honeybees for health and swarming prediction
Although there are 600 000 beekeepers in Europe, honey production is not keeping up with demand, due partly to an alarming decline in bee populations. Smaller populations affect not only honey production but also the 70 % of food crops and 84 % of vegetables that depend on pollinators. Beekeepers traditionally monitor bee health by physically opening and inspecting apiaries, which is time consuming and invasive regardless of whether intervention is required. The EU-funded SWARMONITOR(opens in new window) (Development of a tool for effective diagnostic monitoring of honey bee colonies) project worked towards the development of tools for remote, non-invasive hive monitoring. SWARMONITOR’s monitoring tool detects changes and patterns of vibrations in the hive, which could be linked to swarming, health disorders or deterioration in the hive. Swarming occurs when the queen leaves the hive with most of the worker bees to establish new colonies, and needs to be managed by beekeepers. Researchers fitted hives with instruments called accelerometers that measure vibrations, the data for which can be collected remotely. They monitored swarming behaviour in dedicated apiaries in France and the United Kingdom by fitting hives with accelerometers to record the spectrum of vibrations. Using the data, researchers gave vibration patterns statistical scores that provide advance warning that a swarming event is about to occur. They also used these experimental hives to monitor health conditions, including infestations by bee pathogens or pesticide exposure, which can cripple an entire colony. The method and algorithm developed can also detect any dangerous deterioration of the colony’s condition over the winter and can be implemented into existing commercially available products. The advanced warning given to beekeepers will alert them to the need for remedial intervention so that the colony is not lost. SWARMONITOR’s remote monitoring tools will therefore allow more effective and less labour-intensive apiary management. It will also enhance productivity by pre-empting swarming and disease outbreaks.
Keywords
Honeybees, swarming, bee colonies, SWARMONITOR, hive monitoring
