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Author Topic: Apidictors and apps  (Read 6005 times)

Offline dermot

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Apidictors and apps
« on: March 06, 2013, 07:04:25 pm »
In the 1960's E.F. Wood had developed a device called an Apidictor (worth googling) that was being used by over 200 beekeepers. It was a device that allowed the user to externally check the swarming condition of the hive based on the change in sound brought about by newly unemployed nurse bees. It seems that modern technology may have caught up and be able to develop this even further. Another recent article mentioned that a couple of US researchers have found that by checking the sound of the hive with a computer program they are over 85% accurate in diagnosing 11 different conditions. It may be as close as we get to hearing our bees speak.

  The following text is copied from the Catch the Buzz free newsletter, which I would encourage you to subscribe to as well as the American Bee Journal. I'd add the links but I don't have enough posts- if you google you should be able to find them

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CATCH THE BUZZ

Measuring the Buzz in the Hive

Alan Harman  

 

Honey bees may soon be able to communicate their poor health to beekeepers as a result of major new UK research project that aims to transform beekeeping and halt the decline of the sector in Europe.

   A consortium – led by Nottingham Trent University and the Bee Farmers Association of the UK (BFA) – has launched a €1.4-million (US$1.8-million) European Union-funded study to monitor and decode the buzzing of bees in the hive and pass crucial information to beekeepers via wireless technology.

   The research also involves the European Professional Beekeepers Association in Germany and the National Institute for Agricultural Research in France.

   The researchers have developed a hi-tech method of using accelerometers – devices sensitive to minute vibrations – to detect and translate the vibrations caused by bees during their activities and as they communicate with one another.

   This means the researchers now can monitor when a hive is about to swarm and as a next step they are investigating changes and patterns in buzzing which may indicate specific health disorders, or deterioration in the hive.

   They are developing methods to transfer wirelessly instant alerts to the beekeeper, either via email or SMS, so that they can intervene and manage their colonies.

   The research is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of beekeeping, making it far less time-consuming and costly, as well as improving the health monitoring of the honeybee.

   Beekeeping requires physical visits and regular inspections of every single hive by Europe’s 600,000 beekeepers who have to nurture their bees, regardless of conditions.

   Beekeeping generates more than €400 million (US$520.8 million) a year in Europe, but only 54% of the total demand for honey and other bee products is produced on the continent.

   Bee populations and beekeeper numbers in Europe have been falling at an alarming rate and honey imports to the EU, from countries such as Argentina and China, have risen by 20% since 2001.

   “Despite its importance and the obvious potential for growth, serious problems face the beekeeping sector,” Nottingham Trent University physicist and researcher Martin Bencsik says.

   “Action to bring modern management tools to beekeeping and action to halt the decline of the European beekeeping sector is urgently needed, particularly as bees play such a vital role in agricultural productivity. We now have the potential to achieve this.

   “Our tool will allow us to remotely diagnose colony status without the need for systematic invasive opening of individual hives for inspection. Commercial beekeepers will be able to keep more hives over greater geographical distances, which will both increase their efficiency and profitability.”

  BFA research and administration officer David Bancalari says this could be the golden hour for bee farmers.

   “For years we have been struggling to improve the health of our bees,” he says. “We know early intervention is crucial. This research could give us those vital, lifesaving early signs of problems allowing us to tend to our bees much sooner – giving us the equivalent of the golden hour in human first aid.”

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2013, 10:02:21 am »
Plans on beesource...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline max2

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2013, 03:58:50 am »
Amazing! I could do with a few. How long before " Dick Smith" will sell them?

Offline dermot

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2013, 07:07:21 am »
Th only problem might be that if they're developed in the US or England, once we bring them out here they may not understand our bees accent. Perhaps we also need to develop an app with subtitles

Offline Rurification

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2013, 09:35:01 am »
Th only problem might be that if they're developed in the US or England, once we bring them out here they may not understand our bees accent. Perhaps we also need to develop an app with subtitles

Hilarious, Dermot.  You started my morning with a laugh. 
Robin Edmundson
www.rurification.com

Beekeeping since 2012

Offline dermot

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2013, 11:15:14 am »
The poms might have some competition from the yanks. This is from the Proceedings of American Bee Research Conference,
Hershey, PA, 2013

11. Seccomb, R.A., C.B. Henderson,& J.J. Bromenshenk.  AUDIBLE CUES TO STRESS IN HONEY BEE COLONIES. Bee Alert Technology, Inc., 1620 Rogers Street Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59802
 
    Investigation into honey bee response to sublethal exposure to airborne toxicants showed that honey bee colonies produce unique and characteristic sound profiles when exposed to different toxicants. Furthermore sonograms from different classes of toxicant were distinct and could be statistically differentiated at near 100% correct classification.  Using these findings we explored whether other stressors of honey bee colonies induce similar identifiable sonographic profiles. We collected recordings of samples from free-flying colonies having verified conditions that included queenless and Africanized colonies as well as CCD, foul brood, small hive beetle, Nosema, and Varroa infections.  Each of these conditions produced similar, unique sonographic profiles. We have developed an artificial neural network algorithm that uses these sonographic profiles to quickly assess the presence of these conditions.  Using a microphone probe to make a 30 second recording, our instrument correctly identifies the presence of these conditions and the intensity of the infection with better than 85% reliability.  Prototypes of our device are being tested in the field to further refine and improve the instrument’s reliability in advance of its release for general use.

Offline fshrgy99

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2013, 11:55:06 am »
In March of 2012 'Hydronics' posted a thread about using an iphone app to listen to and filter the frequencies of vibration in the hive. unfortunately there do not appear to have been any updates since.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,36399.0.html

I printed out the plans on the Apidictor from Beemaster and then found the above thread. Sounds like a very cool idea. Anyone hear more about this? Anyone trying it?


Offline dermot

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Re: Apidictors and apps
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2013, 12:11:42 pm »
The original Apidictor concentrated on swarm warning and it seems the British group is starting from that direction and expanding into other issues, whereas the American group has already identified 11 different conditions that can be "diagnosed" through sound. Is it wishful thinking to have them collaborate and produce a single excellent diagnostic app in a very short time rather than 2 good or mediocre apps seperately?

 

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