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Understanding and anticipating mechanisms of honey bee colony mortality with connected beehives
“BeeConnected”

Introduction

BeeConnected aims to monitor honey bee colonies along gradients in climate…

Background

Over the past 20 years, the substantial and global decline of bees has been alarming…

Main project activities

BeeConnected combines expertise in various scientific fields, including behavioural ecology…

Expected social impact

BeeConnected will produce direct and strong outcomes for beekeeping through…

OUR CONNECTED BEE HIVES
Bee Monitoring process

4000000

Bees

730

Days Of Monitoring

135

Honey Bee Colonies

1244

Sensors

Project duration,
from 02/2021 to 09/2024

BeeConnected aims at understanding mechanisms underlying winter mortality risk of honeybee colonies

and to identify early-warning indicators that could help beekeepers limiting colony losses and related economic deficits. BeeConnected combines expertise in various scientific fields, including behavioural ecology, molecular biology, engineering, computer science, and modelling. In close collaboration with beekeepers, the project will carry out a large-scale monitoring of beehives along combined gradients in climate (continental, temperate and Mediterranean) and landscape complexity. The monitoring will combine traditional field observations with automated systems using multiple low-cost sensors to track the bee colony in real time and in three dimensions inside the beehives. Data will be associated with mechanistic models to assess the risk of colony mortality and to identify early-warning indicators. The final goal is double (i) to improve knowledge on the winter ecology of honeybees (the current hidden side of the species with direct interests for people, stakeholders and science) and, (ii) to derivate decision-support tools for beekeepers and farmers (to ensure adequate pollination services) to sustain their professional activities.

Early-Warning Indicators 90%
Landscape and climate 90%
Multi-sensors in Beekeeping 90%