Precision Technology Creates A Buzz

Sep 03, 2019

When it comes to "precision" in agriculture, beekeeping isn't the first thing which springs to mind.

But some new innovations could change that perception.

Tracey Smith with Montreal-based company "Nectar" says their small device monitors the temperature, humidity and sound within the hive and relays the data to your cell phone, allowing you to keep tabs on the queen bee.

"When there's no queen in the hive, the temperature will tend to be more variable or possibly lower," she says. "When there is a queen in the hive, the temperature will be a more steady, slightly higher, and the bees will make a different buzzing noise when there's no queen."

Smith says it's very important for beekeepers to be able to quickly determine whether or not the queen is in the hive.

"If there's no queen in the middle of the honey production season, the yield from the hive will be quite a bit lower. If you can get in and replace that queen, your yields will end up being higher."

The system has a small hexagon shaped device which attaches to the hive connected by Bluetooth to a "BeeHub" tower in the centre of the yard, which then transfers hive information to your phone through a cell network.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.