Monitoring colony phenology using within-day variability in continuous weight and temperature of honey bee hives

Abstract

-Continuous weight and temperature data were collected for honey bee hives in two locations in Arizona, and those data were evaluated with respect to separate measurements of hive phenology to develop methods for noninvasive hive monitoring. Weight and temperature data were divided into the 25-h running average and the daily within-day changes, or Bdetrended^data. Data on adult bee and brood masses from hive evaluations were regressed on the amplitudes of sine curves fit to the detrended data. Weight data amplitudes were significantly correlated with adult bee populations during nectar flows, and temperature amplitudes were found inversely correlated with the log of colony brood weight. The relationships were validated using independent datasets. In addition, the effects of an adult bee kill on hive weight data were contrasted with published data on weight changes during swarming. Continuous data were found to be rich sources of information about colony health and activity.continuous hive weight / continuous hive temperature / bee colony phenology / adult bee mass / brood production

Internal hive temperature as a means of monitoring honey bee colony health in a migratory beekeeping operation before and during winter

“…Meikle et al (2016b) found that stringent temperature control (= low amplitudes) in colonies with brood, but relaxed control (= high amplitudes) with little or no capped brood, was present. However, in the fall, 2014, experiment presented here, both capped brood levels and temperature amplitudes were significantly different between groups although they were not correlated with each other; only colonies from the Legge site had a significant relationship between capped brood and temperature amplitude at that time.…”

“…From October 11 to 15, 2014, 11-12 hives per apiary were randomly selected (total of 47 hives) to determine total adult bee mass, average frame weight, and capped brood surface area (see Meikle et al 2016b). For each hive, all hive parts (lid, boxes, bottom board, feeder, etc.)…”

“…Temperature data were divided into two components: the running average, calculated by averaging temperatures over 12 h before and after a given hour (for a total of 25 h), and (2) the daily detrended temperature, calculated as the difference between the raw data and the running average temperature (see Meikle et al 2016b). The running average shows the longer-term (≥25-h) trends, while the detrended data shows the within-day (<25-h) changes.…”

Sublethal Effects of Imidacloprid on Honey Bee Colony Growth and Activity at Three Sites in the U.S.

“…The system had an overall precision of approximately ±20 g. On the same day, a temperature sensor (iButton Thermochron, precision ±0.06°C) enclosed in brass mesh was stapled to the center of the top bar on the 5th frame in each hive and set to record every 30 min. Hives were inspected at 4-week intervals starting 5 weeks before treatment, using a published protocol [21]. For each inspection, frames were gently shaken to dislodge adult bees, then weighed, photographed using a 16.3 megapixel digital camera (Pentax K-01, Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd.) and replaced in the hive.…”

“…Two studies were conducted at sites in Arkansas and Mississippi with abundant forage, both agricultural and natural, and two studies conducted at a relatively isolated site in southern Arizona with no commercial agriculture and little natural forage during the treatment period. Capped brood levels and other metrics of colony phenology and size were measured at all sites, and continuous weight and temperature data, which have been shown to reflect honey bee colony growth, adult bee population size, foraging activity and brood production [20, 21] were monitored at the Arizona sites. Coumaphos, often used against bee pests and a common contaminant of hive products [22, 23], was applied to colonies in Mississippi before the imidacloprid application and those data were evaluated for interactions with imidacloprid.…”