BeeConnected

BeeConnected is an interdisplinary research project between French, German, and Greece researchers from ecology, biology, and -- of course -- apiculture. The project's goal is understanding the mechanisms behind winter mortality, which is the death of the bee colony over the cold months. However, colonies do not necessarily decease, which is why the interdisciplinary team frequently observes beehives from a wide range of landscapes and climates. During an inspection, key variables of the bee hive are noted, such as the estimated number of bees or the distribution of the colony within its housing. These data is used in analysis, with the goal of identifying influential factors on bee mortality. New digitial solutions for the data collection are investigated to then automatically issue early-warning indicators, which offers decision support for the beekeepers, limiting colony losses. Our computer chair aids the research and adds experience with machine learning and deep learning methods for the analysis of the data.