Survey for some students

[Michael Bush]

Some college students have contacted me about a project they are working on to make a hive monitoring tool.  The survey is on Google.  I tried it to make sure there was nothing nefarious.  They would appreciate your input.

https://forms.gle/e8pi9DkhKZ1ppxnNA

[The15thMember]

Taken!   

[Ben Framed]

X2

[BeeMaster2]

Done

[JurassicApiary]

Submitted

[yes2matt]

I took it, I'm curious the emphasis on temperature. How would temperature/distribution be useful for remote monitoring?

[BeeMaster2]

Matt,
For one thing, it would tell you the size of the brood area or lack there of.
Jim Altmiller

[Beeboy01]

Done. :)

[Brian MCquilkin]

Servey is done.

[Michael Bush]

I think you could tell most everything that a sensor would tell you if you put a temperature sensor in the brood nest and one at the top and then analyzed the differences between those two and the fluctuations.  And you had a microphone and analyzed the sound.  The differences in temperatures and the fluctuations would tell you if it's a strong colony or a weak one.  Maybe even tell you if the top box is oocupied or not, which would tell if you need to add a super.  A weak colony has trouble maintaining a constant temperature in the brood nest.  The sound could tell you if they are being robbed, about to swarm, or are queenless.  You would need a computer probably to do a good analysis of those situations, but from having an observation hive in my living room I think you could program it to tell.

[TheHoneyPump]

Survey completed.
As for what data can be gathered, is helpful, and is of value: check out the graphs of some of these

https://map.beecounted.org/citizen_science/embedded_map

[salvo]

Done.

Sal

[Bob Wilson]

Done.
I suppose they want all different levels of beeks.

[Dabbler]

Survey completed.
As for what data can be gathered, is helpful, and is of value: check out the graphs of some of these

https://map.beecounted.org/citizen_science/embedded_map

Wow !  That is the first time I ever really spent time looking at temperature data for a hive (looked at a Rochester NY hive). You really CAN see cluster movement. That is quite interesting!
I have been successfully avoiding spending the money for electronic hive monitoring. 
Darn you HoneyPump !  You're going to "make" me spend money! 

[yes2matt]

Survey completed.
As for what data can be gathered, is helpful, and is of value: check out the graphs of some of these

https://map.beecounted.org/citizen_science/embedded_map

You can see them move up on this one. https://map.beecounted.org/hive/summary/h5LO

Pretty neat!  I could use it for sure. Tho it would be a different sort of experience, reading a graph vs reading a brood frame. especially at scale.

[JojoBeeBoy]

I took it, I'm curious the emphasis on temperature. How would temperature/distribution be useful for remote monitoring?

Matt,
For one thing, it would tell you the size of the brood area or lack there of.
Jim Altmiller

I think you could tell most everything that a sensor would tell you if you put a temperature sensor in the brood nest and one at the top and then analyzed the differences between those two and the fluctuations.  And you had a microphone and analyzed the sound.  The differences in temperatures and the fluctuations would tell you if it's a strong colony or a weak one. 

It's unreal what you can learn with a few sensors. Some kid turned me onto these Govee bluetooth temp/humidity sensors on Amazon for ~$14. I bought a couple, then decided to buy several more. I have one on my porch for a control. I have them on top of frames between sugar bricks, in 10-frame hives of several sizes/strengths as well as Lyson 6-frame poly nucs.

They make a WiFi model for about $35, but I decided I didn't need to be checking them all day from work or other places on earth. I can get a reading on some from my back door, and the rest from my kitchen window (they broadcast every 2 minutes). I have one strong colony that's cranked up heat and started brooding (pollen sub outside may have been a mistake, we'll see), and another that was started late and robbed. Don't think they would make it but now they are over a double-screen board enjoying a strong colony's heat. Admittedly, it's just nice to know everyone's alive without resorting to other methods.

I haven't aggregated any data or drawn any conclusions. Also, never even thought about the microphone thing so thanks Mr. Bush. I can tell you that if I would have made predictions about the temp/humidity of these hives I would have been wrong. Come to think of it, if I'd made predictions about anything bee-related, I'd be wrong so don't go by that.