I just attended a class this past Saturday that was taught just east of Tulsa Oklahoma. Ken with "Little Creek Bee Ranch". He is the only distributor thus far of this device in the U.S… Taking the same concept of the hive monitoring, see links below, this application only cost $40 and runs on a android device.
A Russian engineer and beekeeper has just started developing this. This is just freaking amazing at what it can do. Ken, is a great instructor. I rode my motorcycle up from Dallas to take the class. I’ll be going back up this coming Saturday to take in essential oil treatment class.
The link below to little Creek bee Ranch will take you to the Russians website as well where you can see all that he has developed thus far. The Russians daughter which does most of his translations and business side lives in Spain.
This is a very powerful tool, Ken doesn’t just teach how to use it but he teaches that knowledge and basis behind the research.
Also attached is several articles from the mid-and late 50s were Mr. Eddie Woods 1st developed and patented the idea.
Check it out I will be posting my results to this link later as I learned the tool.
During a BBC interview Mr Woods back in the early 60s indicated that this could eliminate up to 90% of your hive inspections. Which would provide a yield of 25 pounds plus more of honey.
Even if it doesn’t produce 1 ounce of more honey, but helps know that you’re about to have a swarm that’s benefit enough for as little as a cost.
This looks like something to watch. I know that bees ‘talk’ and sometimes I can hear the changes in conversation when I am working with them, but I don’t know what they are ‘saying’. A translator is brilliant.
I have looked at lots of hive management tools, and other than a basic hive scale this looks like the simplest, best addition to the beekeepers arsenal that I have seen. Please keep us posted on how it goes for you.
Just a heads up for anyone thinking about this system; That mini mic they are selling has a crazy high markup on it. Amazon has the same one for $10.00. I don’t mind buying for a bit more from a small independent seller, but 50 compared to 10 is too steep in my book.
Yes, I bought I’m like online for $10. Actually I’m buying another Mike today to test, with the device for they showed in class mics costing under $2 worked well.
I love the idea here. Every time I inspect my hive, I think “everything looks good, I hope I didn’t just kill the queen putting the frames back in.” A no-touch monitor like this seems very plausible - enabling less frequent, less intrusive inspections (for disease and pests). At $2-$10 each, I’d be tempted to permanently install the mics and hook up to an IoT device for remote monitoring.
You might be joking, but it is documented that they do show signs of stress. The app actually can help depict that. Due to certain activity it will tell you he may have mites and you should open up the hive and look at it.
Yes I’m a new beekeeper yes I like new technology “flow frames” I am a dreamer/adopter. I do trust but I do verify, the flow frames actually do work despite all the naysayers, I will see over time if this app works as well. There’s a lot of science and research behind it not just homegrown garage backyard tweaking. There is actually University science.
I spend all day using computers & various technologies for work, which I love. The appeal for me with beekeeping is it’s simplicity & the absolute lack of need for technology.
I do get it. What made me 1st start looking in to this app or the study/sound of bees. I thought I had killed my queen and was desperate to try to figure out if I had. I had asked a question on here is there any activity or anything you can tell the bees are doing differently that would give you a hint to that. I believe it was Dee, that said to me she could hear the bees were in stress if that had happened, it was faint but she could hear it and it took a lot of training to get to that point.
That totally fascinated me so I started doing some reading.
Absolutely I enjoy sitting outside by my hive and watching the girls it is really really relaxing.
This is only to supplement information I do not have not to replace.
I purchased the app and installed it on an old cellphone to add to my kit. It’s telling me I have a ventilation problem pretty consistently even though my bottom board is in the lower slot and I’ve removed the entrance reducers. Maybe the standard is a little different for Arizona weather than for Russia?
From my understanding, you are correct he has fixed the algorithm a few times. You’ll get occasional updates were things have been tweaked.
Ventilation problems is really not a problem other than the bees are likely slowing down and or their fanning a lot. That’s what it’s picking up, the bees fanning not the fact that there is ventilation actually moving inside the hive, it’s the bees reaction to the ventilation. It just may be overly hot where you are, Dallas is hit hundred degrees the past couple of days and I’ve gotten similar readings depending on the time of day.
This is just a tool when you 1st get it, my understanding as you use it, you will understand what it’s telling you more particularly to your area and your hive
This is possible because, as a rule computer speakers, which you use for set-up exhibit poor performance at lower frequencies, and automatic adjustment “raises” this range. You just need to manually align, in full silence, characteristic in the lower frequencies. Use the EQ sliders and linearise the chart of sound in low frequencies between 50-180 Hz. This is written on “set-up” page of the website …
One side - technical - this is setting. The other side - it is possible that you have a hive consists of several buildings and nest farther from the porch. As a result - sounds of work, become weaker a little, and the sounds of ventilation become relatively stronger. In our unit, all quantities are measured with respect to each other.
Wow, this makes a lot of sense. Here in the US especially in the region TickTock is in and I am in, we run to brood boxes. So the main nest may be a little higher.
In my class I took on this tool/application I understand it most of the activity that the application is picking up sound from is 4 inches up from the porch and 10 inches back from the porch. So if the brood nest is higher than that it could sound like week in relation
Am I describing it somewhat correctly?
TickTock - if you have an opportunity Sergio is always up for emails and or screenshots are very helpful for him to understand your condition and help him develop the app further.
My only request is that most of the questions and dialogue happen somewhere on this page or forum so we can all learn from each other.
For I just picked up about the ventilation from Sergio’s comment above.
One side - technical - this is setting. The other side - it is possible that you have a hive consists of several buildings and nest farther from the porch. As a result - sounds of work, become weaker a little, and the sounds of ventilation become relatively stronger. In our unit, all quantities are measured with respect to each other.
This sounds like a good hypothesis. I did just recently add a second brood box in the lower position since my bees were getting cramped for space. Would a mic at the top be ideal? I could easily mount a mic in the top board directly over the center of activity.
I am a dreamer/adopter. I do trust but I do verify, the flow frames actually do work despite all the naysayers, I will see over time if this app works as well. There’s a lot of science and research behind it not just homegrown garage backyard tweaking. There is actually University science.
