Software shows just how busy honeybees are

View larger image — Beekeepers can keep track of hive activity and bee health with software called Hive Tracks co-developed by an Appalachian State University professor. (Photo by Todd Bush courtesy of Hive Tracks)

Posted July 6, 2015 at 12:58 p.m.

BOONE—A web application for beekeepers called Hive Tracks, co-developed by a faculty member in Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science, is now being used by bee keepers in 142 countries to track beehive activity. There are currently more than 16,000 registered users of Hive Tracks, including beekeepers in Tanzania.

“It’s grown very organically through conference presentations, social media and word of mouth,” said Hive Tracks cofounder Dr. James Wilkes, a beekeeper and chair of the Department of Computer Science.

While the web-based and smart phone application was initially free in its beta version, the developers now charge a maximum $5 a month for the application which facilitates software updates. Beekeepers use the program to track and store information about their hives and hive activity, such as the location of hives, bee productivity and health, and to record hive inspections, along with other information useful in making management decisions.

Registered aparies, or beehives, include those in the U.S., across Europe, Africa, China and Saudi Arabia.

Wilkes is consulting with a bee supplier who is working with the Tanzanian government to use beekeeping as an economic development engine for villages in that country.

“We want to help beekeepers and let them know what other people are doing in their neighborhood and give them the tools and information to make good decisions,” Wilkes said in a 2014 TEDX talk in Hickory. To learn more about beekeeping and computing, Wilkes’ talk is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFkaq_7a5B0.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.