BBC World News documentary Follow the Food highlights the importance of using new technology in food production.

Watch this short video to see a snippet of the BBC Follow the Food documentary focusing on how data can transform beekeeping. We are delighted to feature in this global series highlighting how data can transform beekeeping.

The BBC World News series Follow the Food examines where our food comes from and how this might change in the near future with new technologies and innovative ways of farming. In this episode, they explore how technology can help slow the decline of one of nature's most critical helpers. 

Watch the trailer here. The full episode will be broadcast on BBC World News on March 12 at 8.30 pm ET/ 01.30 am GMT

In this episode, Follow the Food meets with Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy to learn more about how sensor technology can help beekeepers identify the hives that need their attention. Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder of ApisProtect has spent the last ten years researching and developing sensor technology to develop a solution for this problem.

“Our science-based honey bee monitoring

technology empowers beekeepers to

manage their apiaries more efficiently,

reduce labor and transport costs, and

focus on cultivating larger and stronger

colonies. Using ApisProtect, beekeepers

can generate an additional $98 of value

from each hive per year,” she said.

Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy highlights how reliant some of the world's crops are on honey bees.

In California, for example, the almond industry has 1.5 million acres of almonds and produces approx. 80% of the almonds in the world. Two beehives are required to pollinate each acre of almonds so for the almond pollination season over three million hives are needed.

ApisProtect is working with beekeepers that provide colonies for the pollination industry to help them to optimize their operations and grow the size and number of beehives to meet demand. With this low-cost solution, beekeepers will be able to double their gross margin per hive and reduce transportation costs by up to 25%. 

If the hive hits a problem, the bee behaviour change will be picked up via the sensors, and the data processing alerts the owner that it might mean there's an issue. Not only does this help beekeepers get to the right hive in time, it also prevents them needing to check on healthy hives and disturbing them in the process.

Read the full article about this episode on the BBC website by Rachel Lovell

“What we found is 80% of the hives don't need you to intervene. We identify which hives are behaving differently and then it's the beekeeper's skill set that comes in then. So we're not trying to become the doctor, we're the equipment that highlights which patients you should be looking at.” 

ApisProtect is working with commercial customers in the U.S and there is a limited number available for sale this year, please contact our VP of Sales Dennis Kautz to find out more.

ApisProtect is also working with hobbyist beekeepers in Ireland this year to help them to identify problem colonies, monitor their hives 24/7 and help beekeepers cultivate healthier and larger colonies. A limited number are available to buy now.

We look forward to rolling out this technology in Europe later this year. Sign up for our newsletter to stay-in-touch.