A national strategy which aims to protect honeybee populations by allowing anyone using pesticides to send an instant real time notification to local beekeepers using our smartphone app or website. Beekeepers can then act accordingly to minimise the potential exposure.
Additionally, anyone can use beeWatch to instantly notify local swarm collectors of a swarm available for collection. This will include the address and photo of the swarm.
Beekeepers can use the app or website to report colony losses and record hive treatments which will provide very useful data. Additionally, we will obtain data for the number of swarms discovered and collected.
We want to create a fund which local beekeeping associations can use to send dead bee samples of for testing knowing they will receive a comprehensive report stating the likely cause of death.
What we need
In order for beeWatch to be most successful it needs to be a national initiative. This is why we have launched a crowdfunding campaign. However, we now need to reach people to spread the word and help support a system which can greatly help to protect the honeybee.
You can visit our campaign page to find out more here:
I’ve watch the video n guessing @ this a program in England only currently ?!
Here in NW USA (near Seattle) I’m currently in a bee loss research sample n watch. My 6 to 8 hives are in more of a Urban Evirorment. I know around us many chemicals n pesticides are used by backyard gardener n/or pesticide application companies.
L
Currently most of my losses are varroa mites but guessing pesticides are diffinately used n effect my foraging bees as well.
Good look … I’ll be watch from Stateside how your app n program goes.
Thank you for your response. Yes it is currently aimed at becoming a UK initiative but our system works in the USA. For now though we can only really focus on the UK.
That sounds interesting and i hope your research produces interesting results. Yes we are deliberately not purely targeting farmers but also pest application companies, gardeners, golf courses, hotels etc.
We have 16 hives here and we treat for varroa and have managed to almost completely nullify this impact. We understand pesticides may not primarily kill bees but they are definitely a contributing factor and can weaken a strong colony.
Thank you for your support, best of luck with your bees.
Thankz for you speedy response n additional note n info … I am currently at only 6 hives hoping to work up to 8 colonies this coming season … 6 at my shack in the Burbs n 2 at my daughters property in a much more rural setting 15 ms away. I use her place as a remote apiary to move colonies to when splitting hives.
Locally mites are our biggest PAIN ! So hoping to get a better handle on control of these bad boys. Again … thankz for the quick note… Happy New Years 2018.
I think the service to test your bees for pesticides and diseases is free already if sent via the inspectorate.
Dou you think there is a need for central swarm coordination? The local beekeeping associations with their local knowledge do a perfectly grand job.
Lots of beekeepers are on the NBU beebase which collates hive information, informs beekeepers of disease outbreaks, provides free disease inspections and does a hive and honey yield survey every year.
I fear you are trying to raise money for a service that is already in place.
Many thanks for your response. We are currently in discussions with both the BBKA and local beekeeping associations who really like what we are trying to do and we have had a meeting with a BBKA trustee who wants to assist beeWatch anyway he can. We are members of the BBKA and our local association and we are not trying to step on anyone’s toes but simply to help beekeepers.
The problem is the National Bee Unit is heavily under funded, we have sent dead bee samples off 3 separate times for testing and have yet to be told why they died. One sample they said they had lost and the other they made 2 judgements based on a photograph and have yet to test chemically for pesticides. In summary, the NBU should be receiving a lot more funding for the great work they do.
In regards to swarm collections, our system would make it easier for swarm collectors who will simply receive notifications and they can choose to collect or not. Additionally, the BBKA website states 75% of calls about swarms turn out to be different insects and therefore when someone sees a swarm, using our system they can send an instant photo and address to all local swarm collectors, and so they will not be misguided. The swarm collectors will receive a lot more notifications about swarms if beeWatch was successful.
In terms of data collection, the benefit of beeWatch is that it will be real-time instant data. A high number of beekeepers are not registered and we want all beekeepers to be registered as the data would be invaluable. As you mentioned current data collections and surveys occur yearly, whereas, we want to provide data year round so we can see; where most colonies are being reported lost, where most swarms are discovered and who is keeping bees. We can use pesticide usage maps to determine whether they match regions of most colony losses which would be a very useful study. Beekeepers could also benefit from using beeWatch to keep quick and easy photographic records of their treatments and findings within their apiary.
I hope this is of interest to you, our ultimate aim is to protect the honeybee and collect data that is currently non existent.