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This project aimed to develop and test an Internet of Things (IoT) enabled beehive to help monitor the health of bee colonies remotely. Locating bees remotely can help protect bees from harmful environmental factors such as pesticides and pollution.
The project involved building two different types of beehives: a traditional National Hive and a modern Flow Hive. Each hive was equipped with sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, hive activity (via microphone) and visual data through a camera. Power was provided by solar panels and a car battery. Data was collected remotely through an integrated microcontroller connected to the internet via a mobile hotspot.
The project tested how effectives this could be by monitoring two hives placed in an isolated area. Initial indications were that remote monitoring using IoT technology could effectively assist beekeepers to manage hive health without disturbing the bees frequently.
My main finding from the project was that IoT-enabled hives are a viable solution for beekeepers, enabling them to monitor bees in remote and pesticide-prone areas. Future improvements will include more accurate humidity and temperature sensors, integrating CO2 sensors to predict hive health more effectively and gathering more data to enable statistical models to be developed. This technology can play a key role in enhancing bee health management in Ireland.
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