Development of a Low-Cost Wireless Bee-Hive Temperature and Sound Monitoring System

Agbotiname Lucky Imoize,John Adetunji Adebisi,Samuel Damilola Odeyemi

doi:10.11591/ijeei.v8i3.2268

Agbotiname Lucky Imoize, John Adetunji Adebisi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11591/ijeei.v8i3.2268

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Abstract

Precision beekeeping requires data acquisition, data analysis, and applications where the initial phase data on the beehive plays a fundamental role. This method of apiculture could be used to measure different bee colony parameters in real time, leveraging on wireless sensing technologies, which aid monitoring of a bee colony, and enhances the monitoring of infectious diseases like colony collapse disorder–a major loss in the management of honey bee population. In this paper, a low-cost wireless technology-based system, which measures in real-time, the temperature in and around the beehive, and the sound intensity inside the hive is presented. This monitoring system is developed using an Arduino microprocessor, an ESP8266 communication module, and a web-based server. The proposed system provides valuable information concerning the bee colony behavior in terms of temperature variations and sound characteristics. Based on the measured temperature and sound information, colony beekeepers could easily detect events like increased food usage by the bees, breeding start time, pre-swarming action, actual swarming pattern, and the bee colony's death.

Highlights

Honey bees are indispensable in the biological circle and represent a major pollinator of crops for mankind [1] [2], and they are often referred to as healthy pollination agents [3]
The population of honey bee could suffer from certain drawbacks such as colony collapse disorder (CCD) triggered by a wide variety of factors, leading to poor yield [6]
A possible cause of CCD is the use of harmful insecticides, poisonous pesticides, and other toxic chemicals in agriculture, resulting in severe environmental pollution, and leading to rapid degradation of the ozone layer

Summary

Introduction

Honey bees are indispensable in the biological circle and represent a major pollinator of crops for mankind [1] [2], and they are often referred to as healthy pollination agents [3]. The pollination industry is well over $180 billion in a year’s market [4], and over 70% of the world's fruits, vegetables or seeds are manufactured on the basis of animal pollination This accounts for about 30% of world food production [5]. Scientists have shown how various abiotic and biotic CCD factors interact with the natural environment, such as parasites and pests contact with viruses [7] [8]. To this end, it is imperative for beekeepers to safeguard their colony from internal and external interference. The application of a suitable, remote, and a precise monitoring system presents a viable tool in precision beekeeping in terms of temperature and sound intensity measurements

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Conclusion