Project B

Beekeepers are never asked how they are, more likely how are the bees. Many factors could contribute to the answer but one of the most important is hive temperature. This was the reason why in March 2014 I jumped at the chance to put sensors in my beehives, which were provided by Commerce-Connection. This gave me real time remote monitoring of temperature and humidity in my beehives, with historic records for analysis and comparison.

At the apiary the system is composed of six robust sensors measuring 72mm x 124mm x 31mm, situated above the crown board in each beehive and one in a decorative beehive to record ambient conditions. Both temperature and humidity readings were recorded by radio link, via a repeater, aerial, receiver and mini-computer uploaded to the CC Cloud Services, displaying on a PC in my home or on my smart phone using the CC Air Service App. It is reassuring that the mini computer can be accessed by a CC administrator for remote support, if necessary. The temperature recorded was not absolute, as the sensor was remote from the bees, but it reflected what was happening in the hive. Equally the humidity was monitored remote from the bees and not considered to be of any value at that time.

The PC in my house is about 100 metres from the apiary, with numerous trees in various stages of leaf and houses in between, necessitating a repeater halfway. At the house the outside aerial is hard wired to the computer via. a receiver and mini-computer which are connected to a router/modem. In normal operation the mini computer is fully lit. On start-up it was necessary to determine the most suitable aerial and its location outside the house and to establish the best position for a repeater about halfway between the house and the apiary. No Wi-Fi or mains electrical power was required at the apiary. Two screens were available see attached. The temperature readings were variable producing a readable curve.

Advantages of the Commerce Connections system to the beekeeper:

- Unnecessary trips to the apiary are avoided. A quick check on the computer to see all is well saves a visit to the apiary.
- Unexpected variation between hives temperatures and ambient temperature often gives a clue something is wrong.

- It is apparent if a bee colony has died out for any reason.

- Useful to compare data from different hives to see any variation in temperature.

- The time and duration the roof has been removed for inspection may be determined.

- As the bees move up into the feeders when the weather improves in the spring an increase in temperature can be detected.

- If the bees have swarmed half your bees have been lost reducing the temperature in the hive.

- High and low alerts may be set within the standard temperature range of - 30 degree C to + 50 degree C and these trigger frequent emails until the problem is resolved or the alert setting is changed.

- High or low temperatures in the hives due to excessive weather conditions may be avoided with s- hading or insulation.

The beekeeper is alerted if hives are stolen, blown over by the wind or knocked over by badgers or horses etc.

The Commerce Connections system which I have been using successfully for seven years made my beekeeping a lot easier. Being remote from the apiary a quick check on the computer every day gave me peace of mind.

Whilst the variations in times between readings has not affected my ability to use the system effectively some development work may be necessary for medical, industrial, and agricultural applications where there is potential. It appears that the variation in time between readings could be a function of the distance between sensor and receiver obstructions between, the design of the aerial and possibly battery life.

Whilst the variations in times between readings has not affected my ability to use the system effectively some development work may be necessary for medical, industrial, and agricultural applications where there is potential. It appears that the variation in time between readings could be a function of the distance between sensor and receiver obstructions between, the design of the aerial and possibly battery life.

Many claims are made for the validity of recording other functions in the beehive such as noise levels, light, vibration, humidity, but to my mind the only one of value, in addition to temperature, would be weight or more particularly weight variation. Colony development, honey storage and food consumption are all weight related and of interest to the beekeeper.

CC Air Service relies on the SOT-30x Sensor Family. An extremely flexible range of wireless Sensor Units that can measure temperature and humidity using SoC (System-on-Chip) Technology. For maximum durability and protection against the elements, the electronic components are fully sealed inside a PUR casting compound. With a temperature resolution of 0.1°C the Sensor unit can measure within a range of -30°C to 125°C. For situations where the temperature can melt plastic, a proprietary thermal probe can be used. The data communication is wireless, transmitted on the ISM band for maximum range. Using AA batteries keeps the weight of the sensor down to a low 190g.

The sensors allow continuous monitoring of temperature and humidity and can integrate the data into any back-end system. Historic data can be stored for future analysis according to HACCP regulations. Custom alerts can trigger corrective action 24/7 according to specified temperature conditions. Applications reach beyond just food storage specifications, like Project B, the Sensor Units can be applied to deep-freeze cabinets; restaurant air-conditioning; live organ transport/storage and wine/beer fermentation.