Episode 173 – Building a Hive Monitoring System: Sensors, Heat Maps, and Real Data 🖥️🐝
Beekeeping For Newbees®Show Notes
Every beekeeper wonders how their colonies are doing in the middle of winter. Are they clustered? Do they have enough food? Is it safe to open the hive? In this episode, I walk through the new project I have been teasing for months, a hive monitoring system that uses temperature probes, humidity sensors, and data collectors to create real-time heat maps of the winter cluster. This is a non-invasive way to track your bees and generate actionable data for better overwintering decisions. What’s Inside This Episode: Why traditional “knock tests” and quick hive peeks fall short Using 18–20 temperature probes per hive to locate the cluster ESP32 boards, Raspberry Pi collectors, and open source tools How heat maps and playback show cluster movement over time Testing phases: hardware build, power integration, garage trials, full yard deployment Adding heat strips to simulate cluster movement for controlled experiments Integrating insulation tests and measuring power to honey conversion Future expansions like weight sensors and even drone based data retrieval
Why Listen to This Episode? This project combines beekeeping with technology, giving you a way to see what really happens inside your hives during the cold months. Whether you want to build your own system or just follow along, you will come away with new insights into how bees survive winter. More Info: 🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com 🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com 📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees 💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees 🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org About the Podcast: Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 600,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.
Pre-Inspection Checklist: https://beekeepingfornewbees.com/pre-inspection-checklist/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
More from Beekeeping For Newbees®
Good record keeping sits right behind your IPM strategy as one of the most important things you can do as a beekeeper. In this episode, Jeff sits down with Kyle, a web developer and beekeeper from the far north, to talk about APiLOG, a hive inspection tracking app built by a beekeeper for beekeepers. The full interview including a live demo is available on YouTube -- link in the description. What's Inside This Episode: Why hive record keeping belongs right behind your IPM strategy in terms of importance How pen and paper notes fall short as your apiary grows The problem with bricks, wax markers, and other hive-top reminder systems How APiLOG uses voice recording to capture inspection notes naturally Swarm risk calculation and how weather patterns factor into the algorithm Automated regional task suggestions for new beekeepers Customizable inspection interval notifications by email How the built-in AI assistant uses your inspection history and local forecast Free tier available for up to two hives with full pro features Works across all devices including as a home screen app for push notifications
Last week wrapped up Varroa Week, and two listeners took us up on the offer to submit topics for further elaboration. This episode honors both of them. We also have a hive report on Colony 61, a packed four-frame nuc that needed immediate expansion, plus a quick tip about prepping your gear before you actually need it. The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper
In this final episode of Varroa Week, we cover Norroa, a newer treatment approach designed to disrupt mite reproduction rather than kill mites directly. We also recap the week, talk through real-world cost and use considerations, and look ahead to the next round of spring episodes. The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper
In this episode we continue Varroa Week by breaking down the most common mite treatment options on the market. We cover how they work, when they are used, key limitations, and how to think through building a treatment strategy that fits your own apiary. The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper
In this episode we continue Varroa Week by getting practical with mite testing. We cover alcohol washes, dish soap washes, sticky boards, sugar shakes, and how to build a monthly testing routine that helps you stay ahead of trouble before colonies begin to fail. The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper