Research into the shifting seasonality of beekeeping

Penti, Benjamin; Bahtierova, Saida; Teague, James; DeFronzo, Isabella; Mistry, Vijay

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Research into the shifting seasonality of beekeeping

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Climate change is shifting the timing of seasonal events across the world, impacting practices that rely on consistent seasonal patterns such as beekeeping. Beekeeping has become increasingly difficult as beekeepers struggle to adapt their techniques to unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change. In collaboration with CALENDARS, a study examining seasonal events and how they impact societies, the team created a proposal for an app that will assist beekeepers in adjusting their practices in response to shifting seasonality. Through interviews with beekeeping associations, we determined a connection between the practices of a beekeeper and the way that they rely on seasons. However, the rise of precipitation and temperature trends in Germany emphasized the need for beekeepers to adjust their practices to the changes in seasonality. Beekeepers have a diverse set of practices that they use to help maintain the health of their hives. Beekeepers and their organizations mostly subscribe to one of two philosophies. Some take a hands-off approach focused on natural hive strength and survival, which allows the bees to act as they would in nature, in the hopes of creating independent colonies. Other beekeepers take a more active role in managing their hives. This approach is marked by the adaptation of various chemicals to handle the rise of varroa mites during warmer winter months. A cultural difference was recognized within the beekeeping community, as some beekeepers utilized technology while others kept to the traditional methods of beekeeping. Based on a literature review and expert interviews, the main areas of technological innovation relevant to small-scale beekeeping were sensors and apps. The team found an abundance of data stored within apps, but very few methods to draw conclusions. Finally, an app was proposed with novel features addressing problems found during research. These features include the tracking of weather patterns, creating a database of beekeeping practices, and developing a tool to draw conclusions for beekeepers about the data they collect. This app would enable beekeepers to understand the climate around them, its impact on their practice, and methods to curb these effects.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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