Managing Beehives

Track individual beehive health, population, and status

Overview

Beehives are the individual colonies within your apiaries. Softbee allows you to track detailed information about each beehive, including population levels, health status, frame counts, and observations.

Accessing Beehive Management

1. Select an Apiary

   From the main dashboard, select the apiary where you want to manage beehives.

2. Navigate to Monitoring

   In the apiary dashboard, tap “Monitoreo” (Monitoring).

3. Open Beehive Management

   Select the “Colmena” (Beehive) card to access beehive management.

Creating a New Beehive

1. Open the Beehive Creation Dialog

   In the beehive management page, tap the “Add New Beehive” button or + icon.

   You’ll see a dialog titled “Crear Nueva Colmena” (Create New Beehive).

2. Enter Beehive Number

   Field: hive_number / beehive_number (Required)

   Assign a unique number to identify this beehive:

   • Must be a valid integer
   • Example: 101, 102, 15, etc.
   • Must be unique within the apiary

   Each beehive number must be unique within an apiary. The app will show an error if you try to create a beehive with a duplicate number.

3. Set Activity Level

   Field: activity_level (Optional)

   Select the current activity level of the beehive:

   • Alta (High)
   • Media (Medium)
   • Baja (Low)

   This helps you track which hives are most active.

4. Record Bee Population

   Field: bee_population (Optional)

   Estimate the bee population size:

   • Alta (High)
   • Media (Medium)
   • Baja (Low)

   Regular population tracking helps you identify when a colony is thriving or declining.

5. Count Frames

   Food Frames (food_frames) (Optional):

   • Number of frames dedicated to food/honey storage
   • Must be a valid number
   • Example: 5

   Brood Frames (brood_frames) (Optional):

   • Number of frames containing brood (eggs, larvae, pupae)
   • Must be a valid number
   • Example: 3

   These metrics help you understand the hive’s production and reproduction capacity.

6. Set Hive Status

   Field: hive_status (Optional)

   Select the current configuration of the hive:

   • Cámara de cría y producción (Brood and production chamber)
   • Cámara de cría y doble alza de producción (Brood chamber and double production super)
   • Cámara de cría (Brood chamber only)
   • Cámara de producción (Production chamber only)
7. Record Health Status

   Field: health_status (Optional)

   Document any health issues:

   • Ninguno (None)
   • Presencia barroa (Varroa mite presence)
   • Presencia de plagas (Pest presence)
   • Enfermedad (Disease)

   Tracking health status early helps you respond to problems before they become severe.

8. Production Chamber

   Field: has_production_chamber (Optional)

   Indicate whether the hive has a production chamber:

   • Si (Yes)
   • No (No)
9. Add Observations

   Field: observations (Optional)

   Add any additional notes or observations about this beehive:

   • Free-text field (up to 3 lines)
   • Example: “La colmena se ve saludable” (The hive looks healthy)
   • Use this for anything not captured in other fields
10. Save the Beehive

    Click “Crear Colmena” (Create Beehive) to save.

    The system will:

    • Validate the beehive number is unique
    • Validate all numeric fields
    • Create the beehive record
    • Update the apiary’s beehive count
    • Return you to the beehive list

Editing an Existing Beehive

1. Locate the Beehive

   Find the beehive you want to edit in the list or grid view.

2. Open the Edit Dialog

   Tap the edit icon on the beehive card.

   The dialog will show “Editar Colmena” (Edit Beehive) and be pre-filled with current data.

3. Update Information

   Modify any of the fields as needed. All fields follow the same rules as during creation.

   If you change the beehive number, ensure it doesn’t conflict with another beehive in the same apiary.

4. Save Changes

   Click “Guardar Cambios” (Save Changes) to update the beehive.

Beehive Data Structure

Each beehive stores the following information:

Field	Type	Description	Required
id	String	Unique identifier	Auto-generated
apiary_id	String	ID of the parent apiary	Auto-set
hive_number	Integer	Beehive identification number	Yes
activity_level	String	Activity level (Alta/Media/Baja)	No
bee_population	String	Population size (Alta/Media/Baja)	No
food_frames	Integer	Number of food/honey frames	No
brood_frames	Integer	Number of brood frames	No
hive_status	String	Current hive configuration	No
health_status	String	Health condition	No
has_production_chamber	String	Has production chamber (Si/No)	No
observations	String	Additional notes	No
created_at	DateTime	Creation timestamp	Auto-set
updated_at	DateTime	Last update timestamp	Auto-updated

Understanding Beehive Metrics

Activity Level

Activity level indicates how active the bees are at the hive entrance and within the colony:

• Alta (High): Lots of foraging activity, bees coming and going frequently
• Media (Medium): Moderate activity, normal operations
• Baja (Low): Little activity, may indicate problems or seasonal slowdown

Population Levels

Population gives you a rough estimate of colony size:

• Alta (High): Strong colony, many bees covering most frames
• Media (Medium): Average colony size
• Baja (Low): Small colony, may need support or monitoring

Comparing population levels over time helps you identify growth patterns or potential issues.

Frame Counts

Food Frames:

• Frames with capped or uncapped honey
• Frames with stored pollen
• More food frames = better winter preparation

Brood Frames:

• Frames with eggs, larvae, or capped brood
• More brood frames = active queen and colony growth
• Fewer brood frames in fall is normal (seasonal reduction)

Health Status Categories

Ninguno (None)

The hive appears healthy with no visible issues:

• No pests detected
• No disease symptoms
• Normal bee behavior

Presencia barroa (Varroa Presence)

Varroa mites detected:

• Most common honeybee pest
• Can weaken colonies if untreated
• Monitor levels and consider treatment options

Presencia de plagas (Pest Presence)

Other pests detected:

• Small hive beetles
• Wax moths
• Ants or other insects
• Rodents

Enfermedad (Disease)

Disease symptoms observed:

• Foulbrood (American or European)
• Chalkbrood
• Nosema
• Other bacterial or fungal infections

Some diseases are reportable to authorities. Check your local regulations.

Beehive Workflows

Workflow 1: Regular Inspection Updates

1. Open the beehive you're inspecting
2. Update activity and population levels
3. Count and update food and brood frames
4. Record any health observations
5. Add notes in the observations field
6. Save the updated information

Workflow 2: Seasonal Preparation

1. Review all beehives in the apiary
2. Check food frame counts for winter readiness
3. Verify health status of each colony
4. Identify weak colonies that need support
5. Plan interventions based on data

Workflow 3: Adding Production Supers

1. Select the beehive receiving a super
2. Update `hive_status` to include production chamber
3. Set `has_production_chamber` to 'Si'
4. Note the date in observations
5. Monitor food frame counts in future inspections

Validation and Error Handling

Common Errors

Error: 'Por favor, introduce el número de colmena'

Cause: Beehive number field is empty.

Solution: Enter a valid number for the beehive.

Error: 'Debe ser un número válido'

Cause: You entered text instead of a number in a numeric field.

Solution: Enter only digits in the beehive number, food frames, or brood frames fields.

Error: 'Ya existe una colmena con este número en el apiario'

Cause: Another beehive in the same apiary already uses this number.

Solution: Choose a different number that’s unique within this apiary.

Best Practices

Consistent Numbering: Use a numbering system that makes sense for your operation:

• Sequential: 1, 2, 3, 4…
• Location-based: Row 1: 101-110, Row 2: 201-210
• Descriptive: Use numbers that indicate apiary and position

Regular Updates: Update beehive data during each inspection to track trends over time. This historical data is invaluable for:

• Identifying productive queens
• Spotting problems early
• Planning interventions
• Year-over-year comparisons

Use Observations Wisely: The observations field is perfect for:

• Queen sightings
• Temperament notes
• Unusual behavior
• Dates of treatments or interventions
• Swarm preparations or splits

Viewing Beehive Lists

Beehives are displayed in:

• List view (mobile/tablet): Scrollable list of beehive cards
• Grid view (desktop): Multi-column grid for easier overview

Each card shows:

• Beehive number
• Current status indicators
• Activity and population levels
• Health alerts (if any)
• Quick action buttons (Edit/View)

Next Steps

• Record inspections to document detailed hive checks
• Track inventory to manage supplies for beehive maintenance
• Review apiary-level statistics to identify trends across all hives

The updated_at timestamp is automatically set every time you edit a beehive, helping you track when each hive was last inspected.