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Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

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Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#11

Post by unfocussed_mike »

jsiepkes wrote: post #2

Looks super interesting. I would love to see some reallife feedback. Such are the moving parts prone to jams and stuff like that.

> Such are the moving parts prone to jams and stuff like that.

They are probably prone to honey rather than jams. /jk

Actually the question I most want answered is about materials and environments -- I know hives can start in all sorts of things, but I am wondering about bee health (physical/social) in the context of metal and plastic.

Also their material preferences; do bees still need to be persuaded/cajoled to settle in an inorganic space when there might be wooden or brick structures in the vicinity?

Are commercial hives already well past this point and using metal and plastics?

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#12

Post by drewm1980 »

catmanjan wrote: post #6
drewm1980 wrote: post #5

How does this control varoa? One of the arguments against domesticated honey bees is that they not only take food from but also spread disease to wild honey bee populations. The more diseased the domestic ated bees get the more hives keepers build to compensate, compounding the problem.

According to the link "They constantly monitor pests within the hive and apply non-chemical treatment where needed"

Yup. That vagueness is why I asked.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#13

Post by darkwater »

headsoup wrote: post #9

I think the concern with this is that it seems to treat the hive as a machine and not a variable natural system. What does it do to bee evolution to take away their instincts and ability to self-regulate their hive ? What impact does that have on how the bees measure the inside and outside environment? It would be interesting to know what the non-chemical mite treatments are. Most are mechanical, so I can only imagin…

> What does it do to bee evolution to take away their instincts and ability to self-regulate their hive ? What impact does that have on how the bees measure the inside and outside environment?

Wouldn't this take at least a few centuries of continued use to actually change something via evolution? Unless all your bees are dead in 2 years, obviously.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#14

Post by Gasp0de »

So according to Google one Beehive can produce 20-30kg of honey per year. For the 24 beehives in this machine that would be 720kg of honey max, selling for around 10€ per kg in Germany. That would make a maximum of 7200€ in one year, while the machine costs 4800$/year plus 2000 for delivery in the first year. Additionally, the Beekeeper has to retrieve, package and sell the honey. I don't see this machine reaching profitability, even if it would mean no work whatsoever for the beekeeper.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#15

Post by freemint »

Gasp0de wrote: post #14

So according to Google one Beehive can produce 20-30kg of honey per year. For the 24 beehives in this machine that would be 720kg of honey max, selling for around 10€ per kg in Germany. That would make a maximum of 7200€ in one year, while the machine costs 4800$/year plus 2000 for delivery in the first year. Additionally, the Beekeeper has to retrieve, package and sell the honey. I don't see this machine reaching pr…

This seems to be target for people who runs agricultural farms which need bees for their other modes of profit.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#16

Post by jsiepkes »

Gys wrote: post #4
jsiepkes wrote: post #2

Looks super interesting. I would love to see some reallife feedback. Such are the moving parts prone to jams and stuff like that.

> We currently cater exclusively to the North American market. We plan on expanding our reach within the next few months. > We currently cater exclusively to Commercial Beekeepers managing 1,000 beehives and above. Genuine question: are you within their target market? I guess only a commercial honey maker would be?

> Genuine question: are you within their target market? I guess only a commercial honey maker would be?

No just interested in the technical side of the product. Though I would love to buy one with some friends and run it if they would ever start selling to consumers.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#17

Post by conjectures »

vitro wrote: post #8
franciscop wrote: post #7

I have no idea about beekeeping economies, could someone shed a bit of light here please? At $2000 shipping + $400/month it seems expensive, but it claims 24 colonies which seems like a lot, so how much does a colony produce per year? How much should it produce to make it worth this investment?

I guess you cannot calculate only a produce of those bees. Trees and flowers pollinated are a significant "side effect" that we neef for our survival.

Moloch cares not for trees and flowers.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#18

Post by onlyrealcuzzo »

darkwater wrote: post #13
headsoup wrote: post #9

I think the concern with this is that it seems to treat the hive as a machine and not a variable natural system. What does it do to bee evolution to take away their instincts and ability to self-regulate their hive ? What impact does that have on how the bees measure the inside and outside environment? It would be interesting to know what the non-chemical mite treatments are. Most are mechanical, so I can only imagin…

> What does it do to bee evolution to take away their instincts and ability to self-regulate their hive ? What impact does that have on how the bees measure the inside and outside environment? Wouldn't this take at least a few centuries of continued use to actually change something via evolution? Unless all your bees are dead in 2 years, obviously.

Bees only life 2-4x longer than fruit flies, and fruit flies "evolve" resistance to stressors in 8-9 generations (a month).

So I'm not sure why bees couldn't have some minor changes within a year. But I'm also skeptical that's inherently a bad thing.

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#19

Post by femto »

Gasp0de wrote: post #14

So according to Google one Beehive can produce 20-30kg of honey per year. For the 24 beehives in this machine that would be 720kg of honey max, selling for around 10€ per kg in Germany. That would make a maximum of 7200€ in one year, while the machine costs 4800$/year plus 2000 for delivery in the first year. Additionally, the Beekeeper has to retrieve, package and sell the honey. I don't see this machine reaching pr…

Beekeepers also make money by renting out hives for pollination?

Edit: Found an interesting article:

https://theconversation.com/the-farmer-wants-a-hive-inside-t...

To quote:

"Alternatively, crop growers can buy their own hives and set them up permanently, eliminating the cost of rental and reducing the pressure on honeybees used for pollination services. However, this comes at its own cost. Growers need to maintain the beehives themselves or hire a beekeeper to do it."

It seems like this robot may be aimed at farmers who want their own hives for pollination purposes, but also don't want the burden of looking after them?

Re: Solar-powered robotic beekeeping

#20

Post by progre »

unfocussed_mike wrote: post #11
jsiepkes wrote: post #2

Looks super interesting. I would love to see some reallife feedback. Such are the moving parts prone to jams and stuff like that.

> Such are the moving parts prone to jams and stuff like that. They are probably prone to honey rather than jams. /jk Actually the question I most want answered is about materials and environments -- I know hives can start in all sorts of things, but I am wondering about bee health (physical/social) in the context of metal and plastic. Also their material preferences; do bees still need to be persuaded/cajoled to set…

Polystyrene hives are quite common. I'm sure plasic frames exist but I haven't seen them in use.
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