What information do you record for your hives?

[Alex Johnston 0]

I'm looking to create an website NZ beekeepers could use to easily enter and record information about their hives to help them keep track of everything.

 

So I'd like to know

- What do you record about your hives? (specifically or general categories)

- What would you like to keep track of if you could?

 

*optionally - how do you record this information at the moment?

 

Any insight into your own or others operations will be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Aquila 612]

I think you'll find little interest for a few reasons

 

Security, Location of hives is a highly guarded bit of information. Trusting anyone with that info is not done lightly and nobody knows who you are.

 

A website is ok if you're in data range, Many beehives aren't so the data would have to be loaded later.

 

Getting the data onto a device when you have sticky hands is a pain in the butt.

[Rob Stockley 3,417]

@Alex Johnston I think @Aquila has about summed it up. The biggest problem with digital hive records is not being able to make them at the time of observation without significant pfaff (spelling :what:). There are several websites/apps for managing beehives.

 

I think the biggest innovation would be voice recognition. Perhaps a barcode on the hive to anchor the records then, "Abracadabra (or some other distinguishable word) brood four, stores one, queen right, feed syrup one, feed pollen one, disease no, notes box broken". Then at the end of the day I can logon to myawesomehive.com and admire how much work I did that day and plan for the next. So if you could turn your skills to something like that then I'd be an early adopter. Easy, yes?

[Peter Sharpe 140]

I'm using an app that the missus made for me, it records all sorts of information for each hive inspection, date, time, weather, hive conditions, stores, diseases, feed requirements, varoa controls,

I put my phone in a plastic bag and us the scan function on barcodes mostly, it all uploads when i get back in cell range.

it is still under development, and unfortunately not priority for her so I just have to live with the glitches for now. :oops:

 

 

Easy, yes?

for the highly skilled missus - yes

for the farmer / hobby beekeeper with fat fingers - no

[Barbarian 69]

What fee will you give me for passing on my skill and information ?

[Daley 4,351]

I'm looking to create an website NZ beekeepers could use to easily enter and record information about their hives to help them keep track of everything.

 

So I'd like to know

- What do you record about your hives? (specifically or general categories)

- What would you like to keep track of if you could?

 

*optionally - how do you record this information at the moment?

 

Any insight into your own or others operations will be much appreciated. Thank you.

I'm not really one for keeping records.

I have a notebook that I occasionally write in, but most of my records are written with a red crayon on the lids because it's fast and easy.

 

What I write depends on what I find, I have a pretty good memory for what individual hives are doing in an apiary especially if it's something a bit out of the ordinary.

I will always write the date, and it will get a tick if it's queenright and not doing anything funny, if I give it frames from another hive I will write 3fbrd gvn or something like that, or just write what I've done, but I try to write as little as possible.

 

I think if you're making something to keep records you want it to be very simple, otherwise people won't bother to use it, you need to be able to use it out in the field.. so you would need to be able to enter data without cellphone coverage that could be uploaded later.

[Alex Johnston 0]

To Aquila and Daley: Do you like the idea (for small hobbyist keepers) to print off a simple sheet to tick boxes and add small notes, then bring that home at the end of the day to quickly enter into a website. (or on mobile if preferred). Thanks

 

 

I'm using an app that the missus made for me

Is this app private or available on android? Thanks.

[Aquila 612]

No I have a photographic memory so don't need sheets.

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,847]

No I have a photographic memory so don't need sheets.

What was the question again please.

[Peter Sharpe 140]

Is this app private or available on android? Thanks.

Just private at the moment, need to iron out a few kinks.

[TaylorS 44]

To Aquila and Daley: Do you like the idea (for small hobbyist keepers) to print off a simple sheet to tick boxes and add small notes, then bring that home at the end of the day to quickly enter into a website. (or on mobile if preferred). Thanks

 

 

Is this app private or available on android? Thanks.

 

This is exactly what I do, I have a sheet (although not so simple) that I print out to jot down notes and then I come home and transfer that data into a spreadsheet... Yes it is very overkill for my Single Hive but I thought I'd create a system now so it is ready as I expand. I plan to rear queens and I thought starting an efficient system now would be great.

 

I like the idea of a website or app but many have been made and none seem to work out. The fact is it is very difficult to use a device with your propolis covered gloves.

[Alex Johnston 0]

I like the idea of a website or app but many have been made and none seem to work out. The fact is it is very difficult to use a device with your propolis covered gloves.

 

So would you be interested if you could take your written notes and quickly enter them into an online form, where it all gets sorted and organized automatically? Then totals, reports and graphs could be made so you could look over your records. Cheers.

[Daley 4,351]

To Aquila and Daley: Do you like the idea (for small hobbyist keepers) to print off a simple sheet to tick boxes and add small notes, then bring that home at the end of the day to quickly enter into a website. (or on mobile if preferred).

I think that would work, I just don't like to do things twice.

Would be good to enter onto my phone and to upload when I got home so I could access it on the computer.

I take my phone with me everywhere and usually it's in my top pocket when I'm beekeeping but I don't always have service.

[TaylorS 44]

 

So would you be interested if you could take your written notes and quickly enter them into an online form, where it all gets sorted and organized automatically? Then totals, reports and graphs could be made so you could look over your records. Cheers.

Yes that would be brilliant, i mean that is kind of the same concept of a spreadsheet but it would be much easier if it was more user friendly. Spreadsheets can get a bit confusing.

[Cathryn Knox 7]

I use Penzu, like a digital diary, or log I can add pics and comments.

[Dennis Brown 5]

I use Hive Tracks at the moment, which works really well for me. Only have a couple of hives.

 

What would your product do that Hive Tracks doesn't?

[beefree 291]

We scribble down notes ruffly during the day and enter it into a big spread sheet at the end of the day. I would love to adopt a bar code system and a reader than has easy to select icons to state the condition of the hive and the ability to take detailed notes.

 

I'm a true believer of maintaining permanent hive records as I think it's critical to make long term improvements to hive management. Also it's great when it comes to doing experimental stuff. Was it Myth Busters that quoted "The only difference between mucking around and science is writing it down?"

[Alex Johnston 0]

What would your product do that Hive Tracks doesn't?

It will be free for one. Atm I'm working on providing well formatted printable A4 sheets for hive inspection, disease & treatments, and harvests. And simple forms to enter the information on web browsers on computer and mobile.

 

So a free and easier to use solution to record keeping.

[HSV_Darren 275]

I recorded every single hive check for over 1 year by entering the information into my IPad, so glad I did because I can easily compare and check what I did or what I found the same time last year.

As it turns out, only 1 hive I didn't split is bursting at the seem and a monster compared to last year ( because it was a nuc last year )

And the 2 other hives I had to split have gone slightly backwards and are not as big as they were this time last year, probably due to the type of split I done, and bees deciding to superceed they queen when I split them.

[eMpTy 6]

I recorded every single hive check for over 1 year by entering the information into my IPad...

HSV_Darren what do you use on your iPad to keep records?

I have been just keeping notes in vivid on duct tape stuck on the hive roof.

[HSV_Darren 275]

HSV_Darren what do you use on your iPad to keep records?

I have been just keeping notes in vivid on duct tape stuck on the hive roof.

I just use the app "notes" the came with the iPad.

[Curious George 120]

@Alex Johnston

 

Do you think you could create the ability for the app to "read" the paper sheet?

 

I was thinking if you had a series of check boxes on the paper that the beek could mark while out in the field, then when home later or in reception, use the camera on a device, hold it over the paper and have it automatically read the check boxes and convert it to data on the app. Sure, there would need to be the ability to add any notes that don't quite fit into the check-list but if you could enter the data only once you'd be on to a win.

[Philbee 4,675]

Until @Rob Stockley comes up with voice recognition I have a simple Lid shorthand in my Queen yard at least

QR-Queen Right

RQ- Requires Queen

RC-Requires cell

C-Cell

SC-Supersedure Cell

SwC-Swarm Cell

V-Virgin

E-Eggs

NQS- No Queen sighted

Qls-Queenless

NQSE- No Queen sighted, eggs

Q Hv- Queen Harvested

T-Treat

RB- Requires bees

KQ-Kill Queen

OC-Own Cell

ST-Starter

F-Finisher

QC-Queen Castle

Every input is followed by the date

 

CB-Cell Bar,

This is an important one.

Larvae are grafted into cups on a numbered Cell bars from a Numbered Queen Castle (Breeder Queen)

Those cups end up in the incubator in cages on racks that carry the Cell Bar number.

Those cells then get placed in mating Nucs with the cell bar number recorded on the lid and then that number can be put on the Queen cage when Mated Queen is harvested.