PIC bee counter

[MrDEB]

I have a friend who has numerious bee hives here in the Salmon Valley area. Just curious about how one would count number of bees entering, and exiting ( both ways = two figures # going IN and # going OUT
found this schematic on net and thinking about how one could be built using two slot interupter switches, a pic and perhaps an LCD.
better if it had some sort of data logger that the bee keeper plugs into to see counts. Handheld LCD module so only one would be needed to conserve cost as he has several hundred hives.
read out would count bees going in as well as going out.
keeping inventory of his livestock so to speak
schematic uses cmos and some fets but a PIC IMO would do a better job?
any thoughts on project direction suggestions

 

[Pommie]

Unless you have lots of bee sized holes with a bidirectional counter on each then it is futile. Basically, it is totally impractical.

Mike.

 

[Diver300]

I agree with Pommie in that you need a bidirectional counter on each entrance, and each entrance has to be bee sized so that you can count each one.

However, I don't know how difficult that is to make, and whether it would upset the bees too much.

Would it be easier to weigh the hive?

 

[House0Fwax]

whether it would upset the bees too much.

Now there's something you don't want to be doing.

 

[Mike_2545]

Would it be easier to weigh the hive?

The weight of a bee hive will go up in the summer months due to the honey produced, if the hive is healthy.

You would not get an accurate number for the count of bees this way.

 

[birdman0_o]

How would he get close enough to attach the sensors, put them to sleep?

It would be funny to hear a farmer say "Well theres 2178 bees in this hive 3704 in that one..."

 

[MrDEB]

It would be informative

if you have 2000 bees in one hive that produces say 20 lbs of honey per season and 3000 bees in another hive that produces 20 pounds then the first hive is doing something different.
closer to a source of pollen, less or more sunlight or ??
perhaps by collecting data one could perhaps increase his/her production of honey which equates into more profit $$$$$$$$
I recall seeing on modern marvels about harvesting crops where they are able to scan a field from satellite imagery and actually see areas that produce more or less of a crop. this is integrated into gps so the areas under scrunity is very small.
from the impression I got, down to less than 100 sf or so.
yes high end gps will go down to inches (out at the local technology expo at the fair grounds, this guy was showing how attaching a gps device to the end of say a 30 inch spray boom, the unit would show how far off of the preset area he was off (by inches!).
problem is getting the bees into and out of a small hole or use multiple holes. The friend of mine says his hives have slots at the bottom as well as a hole.
this could be interesting??

 

[birdman0_o]

Are the hives in boxes or still on trees?

 

[3v0]

Counting bees has been done. I do not recall the details but I am fairly sure they were doing it at the entomology department where I when to collage.

Enough scoffing and more helping.

EDIT:

I am thinking that the units could share a common power supply or battery. A low end PIC should be about the same price as discrete parts. Too bad Dallas stopped making their 1 wire counter..

The in/out thing may have a solution too. I am not sure what it is but there are possibilities. One thing that comes to mind is having the in/out via tubes with two sensors. Depending on which triggered first one would know which way the bee traveled. To get that to work the bees have to cooperate a bit. But it may work. I will check around and see if I can find out how it is done. Has anyone googled regarding it ?
https://www.freepatentsonline.com/6910941.html

3v0

 

[psd]

1970s Bee Counter Project

I found a bee counter in the May 1972 edition of Everyday Electronics magazine, which might help: article