Radar Monitoring of Honey Bees for Early Warning of Health Issues and Colony Collapse

If a single factor can be identified that is harming honey bees in the U.S. it is the parasitic Varroamite (Varroa destructor). Varroa was first detected in the U.S. in 1987 and spread throughoutNorth America soon after. Varroa mites feed and reproduce on developing bees under theprotection of wax cappings which harms the bee directly but mites also vector highly virulentforms of honey bee viruses that can have devastating effects on bees and bee colonies.One virusin particular Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) is associated with malformation of adult honeybees though asymptomatic infections are also possible.ObjectivesThe overall technical objectives of this proposal are to 1) Use radar sensors to monitor honey beewing speed arrivals and departures non-invasively and 2) Show there is a change in Doppler thatis reflective of hive health.As this project progresses into Phase 2 we can show the same sensortechnology will be used to identify predators such as Asian Hornets that are not in the U.S. yet.Customer ApplicationsOur final customer application is for the owner of rental hives and hobbyists.Using IoTprocesses we will send a notification to the hive owner's smartphone alerting them of a hivethat needs attention.This project supports the NIFA goals of pollinator health and Ensure U.S. agricultural resourcescontribute to enhanced global food security. Honey bees are crucial pollinators for 30% of ourfood.Protecting the pollinators is one of many important contributions to this goal.