Field protocols - Colony dynamics
An essential task of Work Package 1 is to optimize and standardize data collection methods for identifying and monitoring the health status of honeybee colonies. We strive for all actions to be harmonized, and that differences due to the manipulator and/or the procedure are brought to a minimum.
The ‘Colony dynamics’ protocol relies on two methods to estimate the colony demography and resources: 1) Digital photography method and 2) Liebefeld. The number of honeybees within colonies and the amount of food resources (honey and pollen) and brood size are key determinants of colony development and survival. For this measurement, colony traits that are estimated are: colony size (honeybees), pollen stores, capped honey, capped and open brood, eggs and drone brood.
The first method uses the DeepBee software to automatically detect cells and classify their contents in comb images from digital photographed frames [1]. The software is capable of reaching a high level of accuracy and is therefore less observer biased compared to the Liebefeld method. The Liebefeld method uses a grid, etched in square centimeters, where observants visually sum the surface area of bees, brood and food resources, making this method less invasive and less time consuming [2].
For more information about this, please visit: www.b-good-project.eu/
[1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2020.105244
[2] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ref/10.3896/IBRA.1.52.1.03?scroll=top
Giving Beekeeping Guidance by cOmputatiOnal-assisted Decision making (B-GOOD)
Ongoing | 2019-2023
- Main funding source
- Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Belgium