The apiary is located in the Benešov region. There are eight hives at the site. Lukáš Kalenda, a student at the Czech Technical University, points out the colorful hives. However, only one of them—the yellow one—has a bee scale.
“We have strain gauges installed between the hive and the metal base. They aren’t visible at first glance, but if we look from below, we can see the entire mechanism of the hive scale,” he describes.
The hive scale hidden beneath the hive
A black box and a series of cables are visible beneath the hive. “The box is from the first prototype and is used to turn the battery on and off,” explains the student.
The beehive scale is an inconspicuous technical component hidden beneath the hive. The strain gauges, which measure weight, are complemented by a plastic box containing a control unit and a battery. According to student Šimon Přerovský, this is where the measured data is stored, which beekeepers can view in a mobile app.
“There are four modules containing strain gauges. Each is placed in one corner of the hive and connected by cables. The entire system remains under the hive year-round and measures weight at regular intervals—every few minutes or hours. This data is then used to generate graphs from which the beekeeper reads the information.”
Goal: A Scale for Every Beekeeper
The prototype isn’t much different from other beehive scales available on the market. The goal of the CTU students is to develop a cheaper and simpler solution so that every beekeeper can afford it. Today, it’s not uncommon for beekeepers to have a scale under just one hive.
“We’re trying to develop a hive scale that will be more affordable and easier to use,” says Kalenda.
The ability to monitor multiple hives at once can give beekeepers a more accurate overview of what’s happening across the entire apiary. The data shows, for example, winter losses in stores, spring colony development, or the summer period when weight increases rapidly due to accumulating honey.
Real-time colony status
“The hive scale provides the beekeeper with real-time weight information. This allows the beekeeper to monitor the development of their hive even from a distance. For example, if they’re away, they have an overview of the colony’s status—whether swarming has occurred or what the honey yield is,” explains Kalenda.
In the summer, a hive can gain several kilograms a day. This increase is due to the nectar brought in and the water that gradually evaporates. It is precisely by monitoring this development that beekeepers can more accurately determine when the honey is ready to be extracted.
“The main goal of the scale is to save the beekeeper time. It’s not about information they wouldn’t otherwise obtain by opening the hive, but thanks to the scale, they can reduce the number of interventions in the colony and the time spent at the apiary,” adds Přerovský.