We are looking for beekeepers across Europe who want to contribute to the B-GOOD project by collecting all sorts of data (from three) of their honeybee colonies, using the BEEP base automatic monitoring system and BEEP app. The BEEP base is an automatic measurement system that you place under the hive. The built-in scale and the temperature sensor and microphone turn on every 15 minutes to measure the values and to send the information to the BEEP app through LoRa. Thus, with the BEEP base you always have insights in the status of your bees. The bees will be less often disturbed and management action will take less time because the app has instant insight in the status of the colony.
We are looking for 60 beekeepers, who are willing to actively participate in this scientific project that aims to develop a system that provides beekeepers with automated beekeeping guidance (https://www.b-good-project.eu/). We offer selected participants each three BEEP systems (https://beep.nl/measurement-system-2) to use during and keep after the project. You will also have the opportunity to send in samples of bees for lab analysis for diseases e.g. However, if you are selected your participation will require some additional investments from your side, e.g. it will take some of your time and you will most likely need to acquire additional equipment to ensure data connectivity at your apiary. This part of the project will run for 1 year and start beginning of 2022.
Within the B-GOOD project (giving Beekeeping Guidance by COmputatiOnal-assisted Decision making), we work towards a healthy and sustainable way of beekeeping within the EU. Monitoring your colonies using the BEEP system and management actions will allow us to gain insight in the colony status making use of automated data collection, and will allow us to make predictions on future colony health that we aim to feed back to the beekeepers in real-time. Making efficient use of the automated colony monitoring and COmputatiOnal-assisted Decision making, will reduce the need to open hives (beneficial for bees and beekeepers) and will make it easier to respond more quickly when the colony is in need.
By filling in the survey, you declare that you have provided the (personal) data voluntarily. The data you provide will only be used for the purpose of which you provided it. Data is stored in accordance with the general guidelines of Wageningen University & Research Information security – WUR. The data from the survey will be used to make a selection of participants. For those who were not selected the data will be kept for two months and after that the data will be deleted. You will be informed by e-mail.
For those selected, the data will be stored until June 2024 to use for research and after that the data will be pseudonymized. If selected, we will ask for your address so the needed material can be sent. Address data will only be used for this aim.
The data of this survey will only be used within Wageningen University and Research. For any questions you can contact famke.schaafsma-terburg@wur.nl.
We welcome you to fill in this short survey for the B-GOOD project. Your submitted survey will serve us to selected beekeepers that are highly motivated, and that form a group that is divers in their location and characteristics. Being selected would allow you to profit from the project BEEP systems, lab analyses, the project outcomes first hand and you directly contribute to scientific advances that will help beekeepers such as yourself to manage their hive more effectively. Please submit your survey before December 31st.
Here you can find the link to the survey: B-GOOD project Survey
