32,000 QR code trackers provide unique glimpse inside the hive

In a nutshell

Scientists tracked 32,000 honey bees using tiny QR code-like tags, revealing they live significantly longer than previously thought – up to 8 weeks rather than 4 weeks
Most bees take quick trips of 1-4 minutes outside the hive, but about 1/3 of tagged bees spent over 2 hours away, challenging assumptions about typical foraging distances
The $1,500 automated monitoring system could help establish more practical organic beekeeping standards by providing precise data about how far bees actually travel to forage

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Several hundred honey bees in rural Pennsylvania and New York are sporting tiny high-tech accessories—miniature QR codes glued to their backs. These tags aren’t just the latest in bee fashion; they’re part of a study from Penn State solving a long-standing mystery: exactly how far do honey bees travel from their hives to collect pollen and nectar?

The system, called BeeCam-AprilTag, uses special identification tags about the size of a pinky nail attached to bees’ thoraxes (the middle segment of their body). Think of it as an ID badge system. Like workers scanning into a secure building, these bees “buzz in and out” of their hive, with cameras logging their movements through a customized entrance. Research published in HardwareX aimed to monitor honey bee travel patterns with these specially designed tags.

“In field biology, we usually just look at things with our eyes, but the number of observations we can make as humans will never scale up to what a machine can do,” explains study author Margarita López-Uribe, associate professor of entomology at Penn State, in a statement.

Throughout spring and summer 2024, researchers tagged over 32,000 bees across six locations. Every two weeks, they selected 600 newly emerged young bees across six colonies. These youngsters were ideal candidates.

Bee hive cameras — The researchers used commercially available equipment to install a tracking camera that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the entrance of every colony across six apiaries. On this colony, the camera is housed in a protective box, labeled W5, above a small slit for bees to enter or exit. The equipment cost less than $1,500 in total per apiary, which includes six colonies. (Credit: Provided by Margarita López-Uribe, Robyn Underwood, Julio Urbina, Diego Penaloza-Aponte and team/Penn State)

“We targeted young bees so we could track their age more accurately, especially when they start to fly and when they stop,” says co-author Robyn Underwood. “Young bees are also softer and don’t sting yet, so they’re easier to handle.”

The tracking system combines affordable minicomputers called Raspberry Pis with cameras, lights, and special entrance tunnels. The entire setup costs less than $1,500 per apiary (which includes six colonies).

“Our goal was to develop something that could run in a rural environment, away from the lab, on solar power and to make everything open source. Anyone can use this system and modify it,” says co-author Diego Penaloza-Aponte.

While most recorded flights lasted between one and four minutes, with quick trips to check the weather or take “cleansing flights,” some bees spent considerably more time away. In fact, 34% of tagged bees were gone for more than two hours. During weeks with fewer available flowers, more bees spent extended time foraging, likely traveling farther to find food.

Beekeepers monitoring a beehive — Researchers attached QR codes to the backs of young bees who were not yet able to fly and who did not yet have a sharp stinger. Over one season, they tagged over 32,000 bees. (Credit: Provided by Margarita López-Uribe, Robyn Underwood, Julio Urbina, Diego Penaloza-Aponte and team)

Perhaps most surprisingly, the study challenged existing beliefs about bee lifespans. While honey bees were thought to live about 28 days, researchers observed them foraging for six weeks after their initial two-week maturation period, which is significantly longer than previously believed.

The study aims to inform organic beekeeping practices. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed organic certification standards in 2010, they were never implemented. Current estimates suggest bees can fly up to 10 kilometers from their hive, but researchers believe this distance is uncommon. More precise data could help establish practical organic certification requirements.

Looking ahead, the team is collaborating with Virginia Tech to compare foraging times with “waggle dance” data—the physical movements bees use to communicate food source locations to hive mates. They also plan to track other bee types and host workshops teaching scientists and beekeepers to build their own monitoring systems.

Paper Summary

Methodology

Researchers attached AprilTag markers to newly-emerged bees using natural glue. These tags are detected by cameras at modified hive entrances that funnel bees through monitored tunnels. Solar-powered Raspberry Pi computers process images in real-time, recording entries and exits. Data transfers wirelessly to a central computer, with weekly manual collection by researchers.

Results

Over 21 days, the system logged 15,736 detections across 3,297 distinct events (32% entries, 18.77% exits, 49.23% unknown). Of 675 complete trips tracked, 533 lasted under two hours. Most trips fell within 1-4 minutes, averaging 18 minutes and 38 seconds.

Limitations

Technical challenges included missed detections from rapid bee movement, upside-down crawling, and viewing window contamination. Some bees loitered in entrances, creating hundreds of redundant readings daily. Solar power required backup batteries during extended cloudy periods.

Discussion and Takeaways

The BeeCam-AprilTag system demonstrates the potential for automated, long-term bee monitoring. Besides tracking foraging patterns, it revealed unexpected insights about bee longevity and behavior. The system’s open-source design allows for future modifications and improvements.

Funding and Disclosures

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Additional funding came from the Penn State Drawdown Scholar Program, College of Engineering, and Institute of Energy and the Environment.

Publication Information

Published in HardwareX (Volume 20, 2024), “Automated entrance monitoring to investigate honey bee foraging trips using open-source wireless platform and fiducial tags” appears under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering MagR expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the MagR gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups. Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face Bees have been an integral part of our ecosystem and human agriculture for over four centuries, primarily utilized for their honey in the early days. Now, they are recognized more for their critical role in pollination, which directly impacts a vast majority of the food we consume. Mark Lilly, a prominent beekeeper, emphasizes that without bees' pollination efforts, a significant portion of our diet would be at risk. However, bees face numerous threats, including varroa mites and, in specific regions like West Virginia, black bears. These challenges necessitate concerted efforts for preservation and protection. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q1: Why are bees so important to the ecosystem? A1: Bees are crucial for pollinating plants, which is necessary for the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Without bees, a large portion of the food we eat would not be available. Q2: What are the main threats to...

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles As the number of pets in South Korea steadily increases, pet owners face a growing dilemma due to the limited number of pet cemeteries across the country. Under the current legal framework, pet remains are classified as household waste, requiring specific disposal methods that are neither convenient nor easily accessible for all citizens. The imbalance between the rising pet population—over 5.52 million households with pets by the end of 2022—and the mere 70 registered pet cemeteries has led to significant challenges. This shortage is particularly evident in regions like Jeju Island, where pet owners must undergo arduous journeys to the mainland to ensure their pets receive proper burials. The root cause of this shortage lies in the strict regulations governing the establishment of pet cemeteries. These facilities, which must include crematoriums, face numerous restrictions, such as proximity to resident...

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive A recent study published in Nature Geoscience reveals a distressing consequence of global warming: the irreversible loss of valuable climate data stored in alpine glaciers. The research, conducted by a team led by Margit Schwikowski from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), underscores the alarming rate at which glaciers are melting and highlights the implications for climate research. The study focuses on the Corbassière glacier at Grand Combin in Switzerland, where ice cores drilled in 2018 and 2020 were intended to serve as vital climate archives. However, comparing the two sets of ice cores reveals a grim reality—global warming has rendered the glacier unsuitable as a reliable climate archive. Glaciers, renowned as climate archives, encapsulate valuable information about past climatic conditions and atmospheric compositions. The fluctuating concentrations of trace substances in ice layers provide insights into historica...

German election: Climate and environment take a back seat

German election: Climate and environment take a back seat When the coalition government comprising the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) , Greens and neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) emerged after the last German federal election in the fall of 2021, then-incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not object to being called the "climate chancellor." That was no surprise: the climate crisis had been a top issue during the election campaign. The new government made the fight against climate change a task for the Economy Ministry and appointed Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck from the Greens as its head. Three and a half years later, campaign speeches barely mention climate protection. The dominant issues are how to curb irregular immigration and how to boost Germany's sluggish economy. Skeptical view of renewable energy The head of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , Friedrich Merz ...

Small actions make a big difference engilsh dkbee.com

이 블로그 검색