Smart beehives
- Country CZ, Havraň u Mostu
- Build year 2021
- LOXONE partner MATRU spol.
Challenge
Loxone Partner Aleš Maškovský is also involved in beekeeping. The bee colonies he takes care of need to be protected from parasites. The official traditional way of doing this and healing those infected bees is by using lighted strips inserted into the hive. However, according to the beekeeper, this is not suitable due to the use of chemical substances on the lights and it is not 100% effective so is not as beneficial to the bees.
Solution
Maškovský thus invented his own method of protecting the bees from parasites by using solar beehives from a Czech manufacturer. He installed underfloor heating in the bee hives, and this is what he manages with Loxone. The system measures the temperature inside the hives and switches the heating on accordingly. Furthermore, it monitors the excess temperature to prevent the hive from overheating. It records important statistics, eg measuring the outside temperature, and Loxone provides the ability to remotely treat the bee colonies (from a mobile phone using parameter settings). It also controls two-hour healing intervals.
My idea was to connect the Loxone system with thermosolar beehives and allow the temperature in the beehives to be increased with underfloor heating. I will avoid the laborious and necessary moving of the combs into an expensive thermobox, which I would have to purchase, and I will get a year-round overview of the operation of the thermobees. I automate the heating of the hives for the appropriate temperature during the period when the sun is not shining, but the healing needs to be done. Loxone also monitors the temperature outside, because at temperatures below 10 °C automatic heating control is not suitable - that is why it does not allow it, and the thermomethod can only be treated when the outside temperature is above 10 degrees.
Aleš Maškovský, MATRU spol.