Archive of initial charts for a Warré with 6 temperature sensors
After 25 April 2017, data were uploaded to emoncms.org to enable use of the scrolling and expansion facility there.
The emoncms.org multigraph visualisation of the data is embedded in the home page of this site here.
First 24-hours monitoring
Download raw data for above chart: journal_20-21_0217.csv
Comments on first 24 hours monitoring
Sensor 2 is clearly in a brood seam in the middle box, whereas sensor 3 in the middle seam of that box is not up to brood temperature, though at times close to it. The brood nest has started to the east of the centre line. Sensor 4 and 5 temperatures in the top box reflect their respective distances from the brood nest, sensor 4 being the nearest. Sensor 1 in the middle and half way down the central seam of the bottom box stays close to ambient unless the bees are active during the day, as evidenced by daily peaks much higher than those of the ambient temperature. Bees clearly enter the bottom box and warm it somewhat at these times, probably retreating into the cluster of the middle box (box 2) during the night. The bottom box was always warmer than ambient, the average difference being 5oC.
Download raw data for above chart: journal_21-24_0217.csv
Comments on 21-24 February data
Brood temperature (sensor 2) was well maintained during a near freezing ambient temperature on 24 February. That sensor 3 temperature dropped on 23 February along with a cooling trend of ambient shows that it is inlikely to be in a brood seam. The difference between ambient and bottom box average temperatures fell from 5oC to 1.7oC.
Download raw data for above chart: journal_ 26_feb_to_2_march_2017.csv
Comments on 26 February to 2 March data
Again brood temperature is well maintained as ambient approaches zero.
Download raw data for above chart: journal_2-6_0317.csv
Chart downloads 2017
6-10 March General
warming on all sensors. Centre seam of middle box reaching brood temperature.
10-14 March
14-18 March Temperature rises of up to 20oC
in the bottom box, one of them during the night of 17-18 March.
18-22 March Unexplained temperature peak in the brood
seam, rising from 34C to 37C in 15 min, returning slowly to 34C in about 2.5h.
22-26 March Unexplained temperature peak in the brood
seam, rising from 35C to 37C in 13 min, returning slowly to 35C in about 2h. Centre seam
of middle box stabilised at brood temperature. Ambient temperatures reaching 17C by day.
26-30 March 2017
The brood nest has spread to the c4entre seam of the middle box. On the days showing unseasonally warm weather (26-28 March) bee activity in the bottom box is causing day time temperature rises in that box of up to 20 degrees, and at least 15 degrees above ambient.
30 March to 3 April
3 to 7 April
7-11 April Noticeable increase in heating of the bottom
box initially coinciding with daytime temperature rises, but on 10 April the heating
persisting through the night and thereafter.
11-15 April Brood nest apparently expanded into the
bottom box.
In the period 15-20 April an attempt was made to collect 5 days worth of data on a single battery charge. The attempt failed at 09.09h on the last day. The following chart shows all three brood seams are pretty steady at 34-35C. The cause of the apparent small temperature oscillations in particularly the pink and blue traces is unknown.
In the following chart there are some sustained temperature rises of up to 4C in all three brood seams. As it involves three different sensors, and is a systematic rise and eventual return to normal in each case it seems unlikely to be an electronic fault. An explanation is being sought. A drone and two workers with deformed wings were found below the hive entrance. The ground there had a layer of powdered comb on it suggesting that the bees were remodelling the comb in the third box which they did not occupy during the winter.
David Heaf
Email: david (at) dheaf (dot) plus (dot) com
David Heaf's beekeeping pages: www.bee-friendly.co.uk
