Insight from ApisProtect #21 - February 2021

We hope this newsletter finds you well wherever you are in the world. In California, most hives are now in place and the almond bloom is progressing at a steady rate. Hopefully, the weather will hold next week to ensure honey bees can pollinate the flowers and ensure a successful crop. In Ireland, honey bees peeked out of their hives last week during a lapse in the near-constant rain. 

We are working with customers in the U.S and Ireland to help them reduce unnecessary inspections and help beekeepers focus on the colonies that need their attention. Routine inspections often prove unnecessary and reveal that nothing is wrong in most hives in an apiary. In addition to tying up labor resources, these excessive inspections disrupt colonies, can lead to robbing and possibly injury or death of a queen. ApisProtect estimates that as little as 20% of hive inspections are needed. 

Plant Health Australia has published its latest Honey Bee Health Survey focusing on issues such as pests and diseases, pollination services and the level of biosecurity awareness amongst Australian beekeepers. Commercial beekeepers in Australia lost an average of 19% of their colonies and hobbyists lost 23% of their hives during the year 2018/2019. 

We were delighted to see our CEO Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy listed as one of the 15 Leading Women at the Intersection of Food and Technology. Check out the Food Tank article here. 

We have been shortlisted for the Think Global Awards 2021. After winning the Think Global Start-Up Company of the Year award in 2020, it is great to be shortlisted again under the sustainability and technology categories.  

Would you like to learn more about our hobbyist monitors? Watch this webinar hosted by the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations CLG last week.

Our CEO Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy and CSO Dr Pádraig Whelan share the story of ApisProtect and how our hobbyist monitors will help Irish Beekeepers remotely manage their hives. A limited number of monitors are now on sale in Ireland only. 

Kind regards, 

The ApisProtect Team