All year field experiments with the developed systems in open environments and in wintering buildings in all participating countries

The testing of proposed and developed bee colony monitoring devices will be carried out in different partner countries accordingly to the climate determined beekeeping peculiarities. Minimum of ten monitoring systems will be used for planned experiments.

Experimental work with proposed solutions in active state of bee colonies will be performed in all the partner countries (Latvia, Denmark, Germany and Turkey) in local bee farms. Different combinations of microclimate, environmental, video and audio hardware will be tested under real farming circumstances.

Precision bee wintering experiments in cold climate will be carried out in Denmark and Latvia where the winter temperatures are forcing bees to enter passive state and form a cluster. Temperature dynamics of outdoor wintered bees will be measured both in Denmark and Latvia. Additionally in Latvia an experimental bee wintering building at Latvia University of Agriculture will be used for indoor wintering experiments in a controlled environment in a specialized building. Dimensions of the building are 6,25m x 4,00m x 2,4m. Aim inside temperature can be adjusted to the necessary level.

If bees are wintered indoors with artificially created environmental and microclimate conditions then the factor of local climatic circumstances loses its significance and the results of experiment could be applied in any country and in any climatic region. Temperature in the wintering building can be set for different experimental needs.

End-users (private beekeepers) from all partner countries will be involved for field experiments. Latvian partner has own bee farm and bee wintering building as well as intensive collaboration with Latvian Beekeepers Association and its members. Turkish partner will establish an experimental station and collaborate with Honeybee Research Institute and professional beekeepers to test proposed system. German partner has own bee hives. Experiments will be carried out also at bee farms of local beekeepers. Danish partner has collaboration with private beekeepers.

Thus very different climatic conditions (Latvia, Denmark, Germany and Turkey) will be covered by the project.

 

Milestone: Data recordings of apiaries in different states and climatic conditions. Developed system tested and proofed under practical conditions.