AI & Bees: How Artificial Intelligence Mimics Colony Behavior

CITY, June 21, 2025

Bee-Tech to the Rescue?

AI-powered beehives aim to reverse alarming colony losses.

• US bee colony losses are at a record high, endangering billions in crops.
• Beewise‘s Beehome uses AI and robotics to monitor and treat bee colonies.
• These high-tech hives provide real-time data, reducing colony losses.
• The company aims to have 1 million Beehomes in operation within three years.

Imagine opening a beehive and finding not just honeycombs, but a high-tech scanner and a robotic arm. These AI-powered hives, called Beehomes, coudl be the future of beekeeping. How can AI help save the bees? Beewise’s Beehomes use artificial intelligence and robotics to monitor bee health, administer treatments, and ultimately, help beekeepers manage their colonies more effectively.

bees are essential for pollinating crops, contributing billions of dollars to the agricultural industry. Though,bee populations are in decline,threatening food security and the economy.

beewise, an israeli startup, has developed a robotic beehive called the “Beehome” to combat colony collapse disorder. These units provide continuous data on colony health, enabling timely treatments for any signs of decline. This is critical, as the number of hives and pollination demand means beekeepers can typically only inspect colonies every week or two.

Conventional beekeeping limitations:

• Infrequent hive inspections due to time and resource constraints.
• Difficulty in detecting early signs of disease or stress.
• Reliance on manual labor for hive maintenance and treatment.

Toxic pesticides, climate change, and the increasing prevalence of the varroa mite since the 1980s have all contributed to colony collapse disorder. While the exact role of each factor is still under examination, they likely interact and worsen the problem. “You will rarely find a bee that is,such as,just stressed by an mite,or just a disease,or just bad nutrition,” said Priya Chakrabarti Basu,a bee researcher at Washington state University. “It’s always a combination.”

In the 12-month period starting in April of last year,more than 56% of commercial colonies where decimated,according to Apiary Inspectors of America. Colony losses between June of last year and March cost beekeepers an estimated $600 million, according to the Honey Bee Health Coalition.

Inside the Beehome

Each Beehome, equipped with a camera and robotic arm, regularly captures images of the frames inside, offering a detailed view comparable to a magnetic resonance imaging scan. These images contain up to 6,000 cells where bees gestate larvae or store honey and pollen. with up to 15 frames per hive and 10 hives per Beehome, the system generates thousands of data points for analysis.

Equipped with a camera and robotic arm, the Beehomes can take regular images of the paintings inside – Photo: Kelsey McClellan/Bloomberg

The AI analyzes these images, detecting warning signs such as a lack of new larvae or the presence of mites. Beekeepers receive notifications through an application,alerting them to colonies needing attention. The technology earned a Bloombergnef Pioneers award earlier this year.

Key features of the Beehome:

• Continuous monitoring of bee health using cameras and sensors.
• automated detection of diseases, pests, and other problems.
• Remote access to hive data via a mobile application.
• Robotic arm for administering treatments and performing maintenance.

According to Ellis, what sets beewise apart is “their ability not only to understand what is happening in the hive, but to act based on these different metrics.”

This includes administering medicines and food, and controlling airflow to regulate temperature or protect against pesticide exposure. Safra noted that Beehomes in Florida remained operational even after two hurricanes last year, while many wooden hives were destroyed.

Traditional Hives vs. Tech

Traditional beekeeping relies on the Langstroth hive, a simple wooden box patented in 1852. “Langstroth hives are easy to work, disassemble, set up, manipulate the paintings, do divisions,” and transport, said Priya Chakrabarti Basu. These hives are the foundation for the agricultural industry, supporting high-value crops with 2.5 million commercial hives transported across the US.

Beekeepers frequently enough travel long distances, such as from Florida to California, to pollinate the state’s $3.9 billion almond crop in the spring. “Almonds are one of the largest pollination events in the world,” said Ellis, who uses Beewise hives in 30% of the areas he manages. “Usually a producer needs two hives per Acre,” each containing up to 40,000 bees. millions of bees are required to pollinate the 10,000 acres of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios under Ellis’s management.

Whether other producers and beekeepers will adopt this new technology remains to be seen, considering the long-standing tradition of the Langstroth hive.

The future of beekeeping

Beewise aims to more than triple its Beehome operations, reaching 1 million units within three years. “We are in a race against time,” said Safra. “We may have the best product on the planet in 15 years, but that won’t matter” if there are no more bees.

While a trained beekeeper can quickly look at a picture and evaluate her health, AI can do this even faster.- Photo: kelsey McClellan/Bloomberg

Ellis likened the hives to a “ritz-carlton for pollinators.” Beewise reports that its units, which are rented to provide pollination services, have shown colony losses of about 8%.This is significantly lower than the average annual rate of over 40%, according to Apiary Inspectors of America.

“The asset is the bees, this is the good that generates revenue,” said Safra, emphasizing that losing over 40% of these assets makes it challenging to cover labor costs, transportation, and other fixed expenses.

Beewise hopes to reach $100 million in revenue this year and anticipates reaching profitability within a year. The company declined to disclose its valuation in the D series.

Other Players in Bee-Tech

Beewise isn’t alone in the quest to save bees with technology. Dalan Animal Health is developing vaccines to protect bees from diseases. BeeHero and Beeflow offer sensors to monitor hive and field health, enhancing results in Langstroth hives but still requiring regular maintenance.

Priya Chakrabarti Basu and colleagues at Washington State University are developing AI to detect bees entering hives. “The more data sets we can provide, the better the training,” she said. “Standard recognition – it can be the monitoring of a staff, it can be anything to estimate the health of the colony or any aspect of the health of the colony – I think AI will probably improve on it.”

Teh rise of bee-tech, as exemplified by Beewise and its competitors, isn’t just about automating beekeeping; it’s about tackling a complex web of challenges threatening bee populations. While the article highlights the immediate threats of disease, pests, and poor nutrition, the root causes often extend into the broader agricultural landscape. Large-scale monoculture farming, which dominates many agricultural regions, provides bees with a limited and often nutritionally deficient diet for much of the year. This is compounded by widespread pesticide use, which can weaken bees and make them more susceptible to diseases and parasites like the Varroa mite, a primary driver of colony collapse. climate change adds another layer of complexity, disrupting foraging patterns and exacerbating the impacts of pests and diseases.

beyond the Hive: Systemic Issues

The deployment of technology like the Beehome offers a crucial advantage, but it cannot single-handedly solve the bee crisis. While the AI analyzes images for warning signs, the solutions often extend beyond the capabilities of even the most advanced hive management system. Addressing the systemic issues requires a multi-pronged approach:

• Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Transitioning towards more diverse farming practices, including crop rotation and the planting of pollinator-friendly vegetation, can enhance bee nutrition and habitat. Reducing or eliminating the use of harmful pesticides is crucial. Governmental policies, like incentives for adopting sustainable practices, can play a vital role in supporting this shift.
• Breeding Programs: Selective breeding programs can develop bee strains that are more resistant to diseases and parasites,and better adapted to the challenges of a changing climate. Research into bee genetics and immunity is critical.
• Public Awareness and Education: Educating the public about the importance of bees and the threats they face can encourage support for bee conservation and sustainable agricultural practices. This includes promoting responsible gardening practices and advocating for bee-friendly policies at the local and national levels.
• Collaboration and data Sharing: Pooling data from various sources, including conventional beekeeping practices and the new tech solutions like the Beehome, will allow for cross-validation and better, more informed decisions at a scale where impacts can be realized. This includes sharing data with researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

The challenge of improving and protecting bee populations is enormous, especially if we don’t go beyond managing the symptoms within the hive itself. Initiatives that address the wider context-the health of the landscape,the choices farmers make,and our collective awareness-are ultimately the key to long-term survival.