A Monitoring System for Carbon Dioxide in Honeybee Hives: An Indicator of Colony Health

Martin Bencsik; Adam McVeigh; Costas Tsakonas; Tarun Kumar; Luke Chamberlain; Michael Ian Newton

doi:10.3390/s23073588

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A Monitoring System for Carbon Dioxide in Honeybee Hives: An Indicator of Colony Health

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

A Monitoring System for Carbon Dioxide in Honeybee Hives: An Indicator of Colony Health

Martin Bencsik, Adam McVeigh, Costas Tsakonas, Tarun Kumar, Luke Chamberlain and Michael Ian Newton

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.23(7), 3588

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s23073588

PMID: 37050648

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Abstract

Chemistry

Chemistry, Analytical

Engineering

Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

Instruments & Instrumentation

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

Technology

Non-dispersive infra-red (NDIR) detectors have become the dominant method for measuring atmospheric CO2, which is thought to be an important gas for honeybee colony health. In this work we describe a microcontroller-based system used to collect data from Senserion SCD41 NDIR sensors placed in the crown boards and queen excluders of honeybee colonies. The same sensors also provide relative humidity and temperature data. Several months of data have been recorded from four different hives. The mass change measurements, from hive scales, when foragers leave the hive were compared with the data from the gas sensors. Our data suggest that it is possible to estimate the colony size from the change in measured CO2, however no such link with the humidity is observed. Data are presented showing the CO2 decreasing over many weeks as a colony dies.

Details

Title: A Monitoring System for Carbon Dioxide in Honeybee Hives: An Indicator of Colony Health
Authors/Creators: Martin Bencsik - Nottingham Trent University
Adam McVeigh - Nottingham Trent University
Costas Tsakonas - Nottingham Trent University
Tarun Kumar - Nottingham Trent University
Luke Chamberlain - Nottingham Trent University
Michael Ian Newton - Nottingham Trent University
Publication Details: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.23(7), 3588
Publisher: MDPI
Number of pages: 9
Identifiers: 991005790872807891
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.32 Entomology; 3.32.750 Bee Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Chemistry, Analytical; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic; Instruments & Instrumentation
ESI research areas: Chemistry