Smart bee monitoring system

The bee monitoring system does nothing but "eavesdrop" on bees. However, the technology monitors - at the moment - 20,000 bees and also what they "say" to each other to check their health.

Eavesdrop on bees

Special sensors are placed on the wall of a beehive. These are equipped with microphones and accelerometers to collect details about the bees' sounds. In addition to sounds, they also measure vibration, temperature and humidity in the hive. This allows them to react immediately in case of abnormal behavior.

"To understand how bees communicate, you have to focus on pheromones or sounds. With this monitoring system, we not only collect data in real time, we can also monitor what the bees are communicating to each other. For example, information about foraging, whether they should format in the swarm or whether the queen bee is in the hive," Pooyanfar explains. For more insights, check out this Post

Seasonal use for the time being

The intelligent high-tech system will be used over the summer for the time being. However, chances are good that the technology will be established in the broad spectrum. That's because current systems provide less detailed information, but interrupt the bees' activity for about 24 hours each time the hive is opened. To enable more beekeepers to take better care of their swarms, Pooyanfar wants to manufacture the sensors himself.

Bees remain scarce

The bee population has decreased by 30 percent in the last decade, so it is important to increase understanding and knowledge regarding the honey bee. Especially because they have a great impact on the environment by pollinating crops and flowers. Many bee strains have already collapsed. New technologies like this are needed to minimize bee mortality in the long term.

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