Beezum uses IoT from Tele2 Enterprise to provide beekeepers with data-driven insights that make the hive a more stable environment.
Beezum uses IoT from Tele2 Enterprise to provide beekeepers with data-driven insights that make the hive a more stable environment.
Is it possible to digitize nature’s most important insect? Yes, it is possible to get a good distance along the way, at least. That’s what Olle Källström, CEO of Beezum, believes.
– I am a hobby beekeeper and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to take care of beehives. It is important to keep an eye on your bees and their well-being. They need a stable environment, with the right temperature and humidity. We are giving beekeepers a new and better way to monitor what is happening inside the hives, says Olle Källström.
Crucial to food supply
Bees are unique in many ways. They pollinate plants, collect nectar, and convert it into honey. A bee colony also has a complex social structure with a queen, drone bees, and worker bees, all of which have specific roles and functions. Bees are also good at communicating and adapting, but few people know how important they are to the food we eat.
“A third of all the food we eat depends on pollinators, and bees are the most important pollinator. Climate change, pesticides, bee diseases and toxins can hit bees hard and therefore pose a serious risk to our food supply,” says Olle Källström.
Pollinating insects, such as bees, are declining in number. This is a worrying development for everyone, not just the over 600,000 beekeepers in the EU. For fruit growers, both wild and cultivated bees are crucial for a good harvest.
Connected beehives simplify work
Beezum’s technology represents a new era in beekeeping: an all-in-one solution for monitoring beehives, where the grower does not have to deal with technology and at the same time receives all the insights and information needed to ensure optimal conditions in the hives. Data collected by the sensors is sent via Tele2’s network to Beezum’s platform.
– Most beekeepers don’t want to think about or deal with things like IoT technology, pricing and communication plans or anything like that, notes Olle Källström.
“Growers want to focus on their bees, and I want to make it easy for them. The customer signs up for a subscription to our solution, places the sensors in the hive, connects, and has immediate access to data and insights like never before,” he continues.
The sensors are powered by batteries and solar cells. They work in all weather conditions, including snow and cold, and when the bees are significantly less active. With mobile connectivity, there is no need for cables or installations, a crucial factor when moving hives around. It also allows users to gain insights and identify challenges in the hives in real time – so that help does not come too late. Tele2’s IoT technology enables this real-time monitoring of the hives.
Most often, the beekeeper is required to physically listen to what is happening in the hives. They put their ear to the hive or open the frames and look. But since bees are sensitive to disturbances, it is easy for beekeepers to realize the benefits of Beezum.
– When a swarm is about to happen or is on the verge of happening, you want to keep an eye on it, says Olle Källström.
With Tele2 in the background, beekeepers can focus on their bees and not have to worry about SIM cards or connectivity.
Continued development on the agenda
Because technological development is happening rapidly, Olle Källström is already thinking about the next step for Beezum.
– Being a beekeeper is a craft with a lot of manual work. Professional beekeepers with several hundred or several thousand hives need tools to manage work and keep track of which employees are where. We are seeking funding for that, says Olle Källström.
At Beezum, there is no shortage of ideas for the next step. Historical weather and soil data is one such thing. Samples and infection tracking reporting is another, and voice control is also an idea at the sketch stage. The beekeeper’s suit, which protects people who work with bees, makes it difficult to operate a mobile device with finger input.
“Anyone wearing a suit with gloves that are often sticky has difficulty taking inventory in a simple way. Voice control to tell the status and get analysis would be very helpful,” says Olle Källström.
– Today, there is extensive import of cheap fake honey into the EU and Sweden, which undermines the market for beekeepers. Consumers are not always aware that they are being offered fake honey. By tracing the origin from the source using IT technology, you can ensure genuineness and thereby ensure quality and increase the value of the product, says Olle Källström.
Global solution is the goal
“Our goal is to create a global solution that can be used by beekeepers everywhere in the world. We want to make it easier to be a beekeeper and help protect bees and our planet,” he says.
There are several benefits if this data can be analyzed and shared between beekeepers and researchers. This will then allow more people to create innovative solutions or data-driven initiatives that can make a big difference in the fight against climate change and the important role of bees in the ecosystem.
Despite all the innovation and technological development behind Beezum, there is one extremely analog thing that Olle Källström looks forward to most with his bees – and it’s not the honey.
– The best is an early spring day when it’s around 10 degrees and sunny, when I notice that my bees are doing well. That’s big for me, says Olle Källström.
With Beezum and Tele2’s solutions, beekeepers can focus on caring for their bees while technology takes care of the rest. It’s a future where beekeeping and digitalization go hand in hand for a more sustainable transition.