Scale Uses WiFi To Monitor Bee Hives

2021 - Volume #45, Issue #2, Page #28

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With the new WiFi Hive Scale beekeepers can monitor their hives from a computer, cell phone or tablet. The setup keeps track of the hive’s weight, at intervals from every 1 1/2 min. to an hour.
Weight data provides the most significant and useful information for maintaining a healthy hive, says Patrick O’Keefe, who designed the system. The graphs that producers see show a drop in weight when bees leave for the day to gather nectar, and gains in weight when they bring the nectar back.
“A weight of 2 or 3 lbs. of bees indicates a strong hive,” he says. “If the weight drops suddenly there’s a problem.”
It can mean the hive has been robbed by other bees or that the queen bee tells her bees to leave the hive, which is called a swarm. Disease and dearth (from drought and loss of food) also cause weight losses.
By getting the information right away beekeepers can take action to add supers to stop a swarm, provide food, or take other measures.
O’Keefe grew interested in bees in the 70s when his brother had 300 hives. As an electrical engineer he started working on his monitoring system about a dozen years ago. It includes a small scale that slips under the corner of a hive and a WiFi module that sends weight and temperature data to a router. In remote situations without WiFi, a hotspot is added.
“I spent a year working with 10 scales to figure out how to mount them so the hive is stable and to protect the scale and module from the elements,” O’Keefe says. “I want to see it last at least 10 years.”
He suggests putting a scale under one or two hives in an apiary of several hives. Monitoring them gives a hint of what’s going on in all the hives. Each system costs $285 ($10 shipping). Additional hotspots are $195, that work on up to 10 scales and cost about $1/each/month for AT&T 4G LTE. The cost is a quick return on investment if it saves a hive and the revenue it generates, O’Keefe notes.
The scales work on all types of beehives including the Flow™ Hive developed by Australian beekeepers about 6 years ago. O’Keefe has distributors in Australia and Norway, where beekeepers have embraced the technology. O’Keefe sells the WiFi Hive Scale in the U.S. and Canada.
He sells to backyard beekeepers as well as commercial companies, who use the scales on active hives in the summer and in winter to monitor hives stored in warehouses. Email alerts can be set up when weight drops or increases to specific levels, and he also offers an optional humidity sensor that helps monitor condensation that can result in frozen colonies in northern areas in the winter. Batteries are used in his systems, though some customers have refitted them with solar chargers.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, O’Keefe Electronics Inc., 47585 Peck Wadsworth Rd., Wellington, Ohio 44090 (ph 440 821-2032; info@wifihivescale.com).

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Scale Uses WiFi To Monitor Bee Hives FARM HOME Miscellaneous With the new WiFi Hive Scale beekeepers can monitor their hives from a computer cell phone or tablet The setup keeps track of the hive’s weight at intervals from every 1 1/2 min to an hour Weight data provides the most significant and useful information for maintaining a healthy hive says Patrick O’Keefe who designed the system The graphs that producers see show a drop in weight when bees leave for the day to gather nectar and gains in weight when they bring the nectar back “A weight of 2 or 3 lbs of bees indicates a strong hive ” he says “If the weight drops suddenly there’s a problem ” It can mean the hive has been robbed by other bees or that the queen bee tells her bees to leave the hive which is called a swarm Disease and dearth from drought and loss of food also cause weight losses By getting the information right away beekeepers can take action to add supers to stop a swarm provide food or take other measures O’Keefe grew interested in bees in the 70s when his brother had 300 hives As an electrical engineer he started working on his monitoring system about a dozen years ago It includes a small scale that slips under the corner of a hive and a WiFi module that sends weight and temperature data to a router In remote situations without WiFi a hotspot is added “I spent a year working with 10 scales to figure out how to mount them so the hive is stable and to protect the scale and module from the elements ” O’Keefe says “I want to see it last at least 10 years ” He suggests putting a scale under one or two hives in an apiary of several hives Monitoring them gives a hint of what’s going on in all the hives Each system costs $285 $10 shipping Additional hotspots are $195 that work on up to 10 scales and cost about $1/each/month for AT&T 4G LTE The cost is a quick return on investment if it saves a hive and the revenue it generates O’Keefe notes The scales work on all types of beehives including the Flow™ Hive developed by Australian beekeepers about 6 years ago O’Keefe has distributors in Australia and Norway where beekeepers have embraced the technology O’Keefe sells the WiFi Hive Scale in the U S and Canada He sells to backyard beekeepers as well as commercial companies who use the scales on active hives in the summer and in winter to monitor hives stored in warehouses Email alerts can be set up when weight drops or increases to specific levels and he also offers an optional humidity sensor that helps monitor condensation that can result in frozen colonies in northern areas in the winter Batteries are used in his systems though some customers have refitted them with solar chargers Contact: FARM SHOW Followup O’Keefe Electronics Inc 47585 Peck Wadsworth Rd Wellington Ohio 44090 ph 440 821-2032; info@wifihivescale com

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