Communications of the ACM
Computer Scientist Helps Researchers Track Honey Bee Health
Credit: Hive Tracks
Computer science has played a key role in an initiative to track the health of honeybees across the U.S. The Bee Informed Partnership, a project involving scientists from eight universities, is in the final year of tracking hive loss and documenting beekeepers' best practices. The effort could help mitigate losses.
More than 6,000 beekeepers across the U.S. participated in a recent survey, providing information on the number of bees they keep, how many they lost each year, what their management practices are, and techniques they use to manage bees, among other information. A team led by James Wilkes, chairman of Appalachian State University's Department of Computer Science and a beekeeper himself, built the database infrastructure that enables beekeepers to submit information. The work also enables scientists to generate reports based on the collected data.
Wilkes says the project has collected a lot of data and the next step is to determine what it all means. He notes the aim of the project is build a sustainable business model. "We have formed a nonprofit organization to carry on this work after the original grant ends in May 2016," Wilkes says. "Our vision of the program is to identify the best management practices in the current climate of beekeeping."
From Appalachian State University News
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