Remote computer hive monitoring

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Jiminycric
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Remote computer hive monitoring

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Just a throw out to everyone, has anyone ever considered using a hive monitoring system? Been looking and wanting to do a little experiment on it, but wondered if anyone here has tried something like this.

Jiminycric


http://www.arnia.co.uk/
- Jiminycric
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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- Jiminycric
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Allen Dick
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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I have not. Although we were in discussions on the idea as far back as two decades ago, only recently have the necessary components and communications fallen in price and become simple enough to be more than a curiosity.

Back at the turn of the century, Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk had a travelling road show that monitored and with the aid of AI could predict colony behaviour.

I believe he has a system that may be on the market now. Don't know. What are people seeing out there?

Google has some ideas
https://www.google.ca/search?q=remote+b ... monitoring
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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The links I have posted above - one being a end product and looks to be quite user friendly, and the other is a piece together with a bunch of assembly required. From what I have read so far, both would be an assistance to hive inspections using the data and reducing going into the hive to look (less disturbance).

This was something I had been thinking of trying - I have an older Raspberry Pi and would need to add a few sensors to the device. My main thinking was winter monitoring - that can assist is controlling hive temp/humidity. Though I have also been a bit leery with having electrical signals and electrical components by the bees and the affect it may or may not have on them.
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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The stuff made in the UK look quite neat - being able to monitor weight, temp, humidity, outside weather.

http://www.arnia.co.uk/
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Biermann
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Hello,

I use the broodminder since December last year. The temp. is no problem, but the humidity is/was, because of the sensor 'creeping' this is suppose to be overcome and all old sensors will be changed.

Interesting to see the temp. and humidity, it easily downloads to the iPhone (or Android). I am happy with it and look at it regularly.

Cheers, Joerg
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Biermann wrote:
I use the broodminder since December last year. The temp. is no problem, but the humidity is/was, because of the sensor 'creeping' this is suppose to be overcome and all old sensors will be changed.

Interesting to see the temp. and humidity, it easily downloads to the iPhone (or Android). I am happy with it and look at it regularly.

Cheers, Joerg
Has it been helpful for diagnosing potential problems? And how is the cost/price point?
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Hello Jim,

I bought five for USD200. The price for the TH G2 is now USD60. http://broodminder.com/#GetOne

The sensors are installed all the time, since I only had one hive, I installed four in several different locations inside and one outside.

My hive was insulated with 2" Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) with the same in the tele lid. The temp. at one night with outside -32°C showed a core cluster temp. of 28°C, rim temps. of 12°, 16° & 18°, inside humidity from 80% in the cluster to 60 - 70% on the side. I guess it is all in the definition and the diligents of retrieving the data. I am waiting for my G2 sensors with improved moisture sensors.

Today I read temps. of 34° & 31°and 75% humidity in the top. I only have one sensor per hive now since I am building up to four hives. One sensor is going to a friend in England.

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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Today I read temps. of 34° & 31°and 75% humidity in the top.
The bees control the temperature at 35C in the brood area very accurately -- better than many incubators. We used to monitor it with a $10 high/low remote reading digital thermometer from Canadian Tire.

75% RH is the bees preferred humidity. It should not vary much unless the hive has too much ventilation.
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Jiminycric
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Biermann wrote:
I bought five for USD200. The price for the TH G2 is now USD60. http://broodminder.com/#GetOne

Joerg
That is fairly reasonable actually for a set - considering once I add a raspberry Pi/sensors and my time to try to program the stuff. I had figured to build would be about $40-$50, not including time.


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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Biermann wrote:Hello Jim,

I bought five for USD200. The price for the TH G2 is now USD60. http://broodminder.com/#GetOne
I will have to look on the computer, haha, my iPad is not letting me 'click' on the get one button...


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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Biermann wrote:Hello Jim,

I bought five for USD200. The price for the TH G2 is now USD60. http://broodminder.com/#GetOne

The sensors are installed all the time, since I only had one hive, I installed four in several different locations inside and one outside.

My hive was insulated with 2" Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) with the same in the tele lid. The temp. at one night with outside -32°C showed a core cluster temp. of 28°C, rim temps. of 12°, 16° & 18°, inside humidity from 80% in the cluster to 60 - 70% on the side. I guess it is all in the definition and the diligents of retrieving the data. I am waiting for my G2 sensors with improved moisture sensors.

Today I read temps. of 34° & 31°and 75% humidity in the top. I only have one sensor per hive now since I am building up to four hives. One sensor is going to a friend in England.

Joerg

Got a Broodminder this week to look at temps and humidity, it will be interesting on seeing the data from it. So far I like it!
Looks like temp is hovering at 35C and humidity between 50-60%
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Today I read temps. of 34° & 31°and 75% humidity in the top.
Looks like temp is hovering at 35C and humidity between 50-60%
Placement is important. 34 and 31 are low for the open brood areas. 35 is right on.

50-60 is low and my guess is that the unit is not in the brood or that there is excess ventilation.

Many beekeepers think more ventilation is better and their proof is that the bees fly earlier in the day.

Sure they bees earlier. Water carriers go out to get water to try to maintain humidity. Nectar is not usually available until later in the day.

For those on a budget, the easiest way to monitor brood temps is a $10 indoor outdoor thermometer with a remote probe on a wire for the outdoor reading, available for $10 at Canadian Tire. These units also record highs and lows, which in a good hive vary by less than a degree. They do not measure humidity, but that will also be steady in a healthy hive.

I understand the real purpose is monitor winter behavior, but the problem there is that the temperatures and humidity outside the cluster are determined by the ambient conditions. Only the measurements inside the actual cluster matter, and the cluster moves unpredictably during wintering.
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Allen Dick wrote:
Today I read temps. of 34° & 31°and 75% humidity in the top.
Looks like temp is hovering at 35C and humidity between 50-60%
Placement is important. 34 and 31 are low for the open brood areas. 35 is right on.

50-60 is low and my guess is that the unit is not in the brood or that there is excess ventilation.

Many beekeepers think more ventilation is better and their proof is that the bees fly earlier in the day.

Sure they bees earlier. Water carriers go out to get water to try to maintain humidity. Nectar is not usually available until later in the day.

For those on a budget, the easiest way to monitor brood temps is a $10 indoor outdoor thermometer with a remote probe on a wire for the outdoor reading, available for $10 at Canadian Tire. These units also record highs and lows, which in a good hive vary by less than a degree. They do not measure humidity, but that will also be steady in a healthy hive.

I understand the real purpose is monitor winter behavior, but the problem there is that the temperatures and humidity outside the cluster are determined by the ambient conditions. Only the measurements inside the actual cluster matter, and the cluster moves unpredictably during wintering.

Thanks for the insight Allen. The sensor I got has been placed on the top of B2, and possibly my hive has too much ventilation. I'm trying to think of all the open spots on my hive, and realistically don't think I have that many. Just the main at the bottom, at the top a small port, then I have a hive top,feeder with a inner cover (with its own small port) and of course a roof.

I had gotten the sensor to be able to have a little more insight into the temp and hive humidity.


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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Hello All,

Surly the Canadian Tire temp. probe works, but only for the temperature and I feel the Temp. & Humidity sensor is particularly handy during wintering, placed on the top brood-box, centered, will give the heat that rises and the humidity collecting under the lid. My lids have 2" insulation EPS during the winter and it is sure nice to see what takes place there in Jan., Feb. etc. without having to open the hive.

I have three hives equipped with five sensors, each hive has one on top of B2, centered and both are constant at 36°C and 57% H (at the moment I have 3 supers above the B2). My problem hive with lower population was at 27°and 55% H at the same spot and is now slowly going up to 33°, so is the population in the hive with good brood. Since the cluster moves with the brood and queen, but the sensor does not, one reading is relatively meaningless, but the graph over one month surly shows what is happening inside the hive. Two boxes have also each one sensor on the side wall, one at the NE long side and one (my problem hive) has a second at the SW long side. (my hives are on a frame, in a row facing SE. My boxes, brood and supers have year round now 2" EPS glued to the long side. The short sides are only added during winter, in October.

Other then the full bottom opening, I have no ventilation and the temperature is stable at 36°, seems to be the preferred value. I have resisted to open the top hole, since it only would create draft and invite unwanted visitors.

Allen's comment about the ventilation and earlier bee movement is interesting, since I see not much happening before 8 - 8.30, then at 10, the door is just one coming and going till 20.00 - 20.30.

My alfalfa honey is harvested and the buckwheat is now in full bloom and I will extract again next weekend (Aug. 6th) and will continue every two weeks until September. Phacelia will go in to some barley once harvested to flower in late September & October until we have a killing frost.

Cheers, Joerg
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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I'm wondering if I should maybe plug up one of the small ports here to see if the humidity will get up to the preferred %. I am not too overly concerned at the moment - the bees seem to be doing quite well. They do have lots of access to a ton of water pretty much right outside their door being near a lowland/dugout. Although the sensor was just put in - and have been in the hive a couple times can easily affect that reading too.
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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The figure I gave was just one I have heard and applies to the interspaces between the frames where brood is developing, not necessarily on top bars. Bees control climate in each small area when there is a need to do so.

The measurements we make are necessarily macro observations.

Bees in successful colonies in summer can control the conditions on their combs more closely than many commercial incubators. Jerry Bromenshenk has videos of what happens when a jet of air is blown into a hive showing how the bees instantly deflect it by fanning.

You can see this instant response when you blow smoke into a hive. What was an air intake suddenly becomes an air outlet as they reverse their ventilation.

A colony can get all the air and cooling it needs under most conditions through a single one-inch hole. Amazing!
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Hello,

below are several screen shots from my phone with Broodminder graphs. I will attache a photo of my hive setup in a separate post, cause I think I am limited by photos I can add.

Top is my problem hive, I know they are not doing what they should be doing, the seem to move around a lot, perhaps the hive has to much room and I should take one super off, but would have to add it to one of the other two hives. The hive had a queen introduced in June and I need to check it again, seems to be not multiplying as they should. Today is not a nice day to check, but I have to go in soonest to make sense of it all.
IMG_3389.PNG
The 'Green' & 'Orange' Hives produce like mad. Noticed the top super full with capped frames within one week. The temp. and Hum. are very stable, temp. & H2O peaking around noon.
IMG_3388.PNG
IMG_3387.PNG
Joerg
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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My Hives
Hives 30-7-16.png
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Re: Remote computer hive monitoring

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Looks as if the yellow hive has issues if the readings are to be trusted.

I'd go through that hive frame by frame (bottom bar up) with the sun at my back and wearing reading glasses.

I'd have an empty box on an inverted lid on the ground and and move the frames in order into it as I inspect them. I'd want to see the queen and the brood pattern and look into cells for disease. (That's the reason for sun at one's back -- to shine down into cells.)

I'd then shake any remaining bees out of the newly empty box, scrape it, then place it on the newly filled box and go through the next hive box, etc. until finished and reassemble the hive.

When reassembling, I'd only give them ten empty frames, max, and shake the bees off any extra frames to take the extra equipment away.

I suspect you'll find a bad queen or disease. Maybe not.
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