Dedan Kimathi University students invent app to monitor beehives, notify farmers on operations and security

Two students from Dedan Kimathi University have invented an Artificial Intelligence-powered beehive that helps beekeepers monitor the health of their bees from the comfort of their phones.

The innovation dubbed ‘Ibees’ also increases honey production and reduces labour.

Through the application installed on the farmer’s phone, they can access information regarding the dampness of the beehives which leads to pest invasion.

They can also get real-time alerts via SMS on stolen or knocked-over beehives.

With the app, the beekeepers can get notified when smoke is detected near the beehives as well as the weight of the beehives to signify the best time to harvest the honey.

Ibees mobile notification gives bee farmers notifications on records about harvests, tasks, and operations. They can also set reminders for inspections.

The students say the invention further helps beekeepers protect the colony during harvesting.

“A third of our food supply comes from bees. At Ibees we aim to save these declining heroes with Artificial intelligence,” Jackeline Tum tells Campus Vibe.

Jackie Tum, 'Ibees' cofounder. Photo: Stephen Mburu.

Tum said the innovation also saves beekeepers the time spent in making frequent visits.

The beekeeper will still get information on the progress of the beehives in real-time through their phones.

In recent years, annual bee colony losses have reached an unprecedented 30 per cent.

“If Colony Collapse Disorder continues, we will miss more than just our coffee and chocolate if it results in our bees dying off for good,” said Tum, who is undertaking a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

Beekeeping is a major economic activity and a major source of livelihood in most of the semi-arid areas of Kenya.

Clinton Odour, a cofounder of Ibees, says Kenya loses billions of shillings from untapped beekeeping, which he says drew their interest in coming up with the technological solution.

“According to USAid, Kenya produces 7,300 tonnes of honey, which translates to Sh3.6 billion annually. This is only 20 per cent of Kenya’s bee production that has been tapped from a potential 30,000 tonnes. We lose Sh19.6 billion annually from untapped beekeeping,” Odour added.