Cork start-up creating a buzz with technology to monitor hives

ApisProtect has created a monitor which can be used by beekeepers to help them reduce honey bee losses and increase productivity.

ApisProtect, which was founded by Dr Fiona Edwards-Murphy (pictured) and Dr Pádraig Whelan, has developed sensor technology to help beekeepers reduce honey bee losses and increase productivity.

It's the bees' knees when it comes to start-up companies, so much so that it's been heralded as one to watch in the coming years.

Sifted, which specialises in identifying potential 'winner companies' at an early stage in their development, has included Cork-based ApisProtect in its latest list of ones to watch.

The accolade coincides with the launch of ApisProtect's hive monitoring systems in Britain, which will be a delight to amateur beekeepers and the world in general as one-third of all the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees.

The company, which was founded by Dr Fiona Edwards-Murphy and Dr Pádraig Whelan, has developed sensor technology to help beekeepers reduce honey bee losses and increase productivity.

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— Sifted (@Siftedeu) August 10, 2021

It has created a monitor which can be used by “hobbyist” beekeepers to check inside their hives, as well as a commercial version which has been launched in the USA.

The company has found the latter so successful it plans to launch that product throughout Europe in the next two to three years.

Aoife O'Mahony, ApisProtect's head of marketing, said that many beekeepers are miles from their hives and looking after them normally requires a lot of on-the-spot monitoring.

However, the ApisProtect monitor - which is the size of an I-phone and powered by batteries - can be easily inserted in a hive to check on what's happening. This reduces endless trips in person to the hive.

“The monitor issues an alert if something unusual is happening. That could include the queen leaving, or being accidentally killed. There could be an outbreak of a disease, the bees could be hungry, or too cold,” Ms O'Mahony said. “It's basically a hive management tool.” 

The technology allows transmission to a computer or a phone, meaning the beekeeper is constantly in touch.

ApisProtect's commercial model was launched in the US a year ago, where some companies there have to manage up to 50,000 hives over a vast range. It helps considerably in cutting costs.

“The industry is huge in the USA, especially in California. We're looking at expanding this (product) in Europe in the next two to three years,” Ms O'Mahony said.

Precision #beekeeping suite for commercial operations offers opportunity for #beekeepers preparing for almond orchard #pollination to double gross margin per #hive. Watch how easy and quick it is to install this new #bee monitoring technology into the #hive.@apimondia @beejournal pic.twitter.com/couIK3q3lI

— ApisProtect (@ApisProtect) December 10, 2020

She said the new technology will hopefully lead to keeping more and more honey bees pest- and disease-free, thus increasing the number of such pollinators and benefiting mankind.

The innovative monitoring technology had its beginnings in University College Cork and has since collated over 15m sets of data from honey bee hives across the world.

Inspired by Irish beekeepers, Dr Fiona Edwards-Murphy developed her award-winning PhD into a bee monitoring product for commercial and hobbyist beekeepers and helped found the company in 2017.

ApisProtect employs a team of eight engineers, scientists and business development experts based in the Rubicon Centre in Cork.

The company continues to expand due to ongoing innovative and award-winning academic research. Its work has been highlighted on the BBC's 'Follow The Food' documentary series and by Forbes magazine.