An AI-Based Digital Scanner for Varroa destructor Detection in Beekeeping

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Beekeeping is a crucial agricultural practice that significantly enhances environmental health and food production through effective pollination by honey bees. However, honey bees face numerous threats, including exotic parasites, large-scale transportation, and common agricultural practices that may increase the risk of parasite and pathogen transmission. A major threat is the Varroa destructor mite, which feeds on honey bee fat bodies and transmits viruses, leading to significant colony losses. Detecting the parasite and defining the intervention thresholds for effective treatment is a difficult and time-consuming task; different detection methods exist, but they are mainly based on human eye observations, resulting in low accuracy. This study introduces a digital portable scanner coupled with an AI algorithm (BeeVS) used to detect Varroa mites. The device works through image analysis of a sticky sheet previously placed under the beehive for some days, intercepting the Varroa mites that naturally fall. In this study, the scanner was tested for 17 weeks, receiving sheets from 5 beehives every week, and checking the accuracy, reliability, and speed of the method compared to conventional human visual inspection. The results highlighted the high repeatability of the measurements (R2 ≥ 0.998) and the high accuracy of the BeeVS device; when at least 10 mites per sheet were present, the device showed a cumulative percentage error below 1%, compared to approximately 20% for human visual observation. Given its repeatability and reliability, the device can be considered a valid tool for beekeepers and scientists, offering the opportunity to monitor many beehives in a short time, unlike visual counting, which is done on a sample basis.