Bee Spy camera

[radu43]

Anybody played with the idea to put a camera outside the hive or inside the hive. High tech way to observe your bees?

Any ideas you might have on this topic are much appreciated. Please provide link to products you use.

Thank you.

[johnblagg]

indeed I have ...just think they would cover it with propolis fast and lol its a high def web cam ....I am still thinking about it but think I would want it sealed inside a cannister with a glass in front of the lens so they dont gum up anything but th econtainer

[NasalSponge]

The one below is what I have my eye on, since I can use it for work and bee's. Shoots stills and video.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....store&tool=all

[johnblagg]

wow go all out Man ....lol mine is just a microsoft high def ...but takes great vid and pics

[100 td]

The one below is what I have my eye on, since I can use it for work and bee's. Shoots stills and video.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....store&tool=all

At $800, your keen! A chinese copy from ebay is $100 delivered, also some 5 metre usb cameras for $30

[PCM]

[QUOTE=radu43;674201]Anybody played with the idea to put a camera outside the hive or inside the hive. High tech way to observe your bees?

Been done quite a few times, lots of movies on the net.

PCM

[NasalSponge]

A chinese copy from ebay is $100 delivered, also some 5 metre usb cameras for $30

Folks with a Harbor Freight mentality have difficulty understanding a professional mechanics perspective.... If cheapest was my goal I would do that and replace it often, I however choose to purchased the best, use it for 40 years on a daily basis and still be able to hand it down to my sons thank you.

[tecrench]

I have a IR cam 15 feet from the frt side of 3 hives so I can the entrances on all feeding into a DVR so I can Check on them remotely. Got a couple of pinhole cams I was going to put in the slat rack part above the SBB but haven't done it yet. Using just analog cams

[MassKeeper]

Folks with a Harbor Freight mentality have difficulty understanding a professional mechanics perspective.... If cheapest was my goal I would do that and replace it often, I however choose to purchased the best, use it for 40 years on a daily basis and still be able to hand it down to my sons thank you.

Well I understand a professional mechanics view. Maybe Snap on has the best of some things. I've never used their wrenches but prefer Wera screwdrivers and Knipex pliers. I'd really never consider a camera though. Hand down a Nikon.

Now back to Bees. What about lights inside the hive?

[NasalSponge]

I love my Knipex, when I say the best, that is not referring only to Snap-on

Now about the light question, are you asking how to get light in to get the shots? In the case of the fiber optics cam the end has an LED in it.

[MassKeeper]

No, I was not sure how advisable it would be for a light to be in the hive. I've also wondered if putting small garden lights around the hive outside would confuse them.

And if you have never used Wera screw drivers, try them they are the best.....Wiha are also very good and less expensive than Snap-on IMHO

[NasalSponge]

I was thinking in and out, not constant.

[MDS]

I have a IR cam 15 feet from the frt side of 3 hives so I can the entrances on all feeding into a DVR so I can Check on them remotely. Got a couple of pinhole cams I was going to put in the slat rack part above the SBB but haven't done it yet. Using just analog cams

Been looking at cameras that can feed back into my windows homeserver. That caused me to talk to a guy with several cameras and he is using the DVR as well and has a dedicated IP so I was able to check it out. How did you get power source to your cameras?

[Watchdog2020]

I put a 6in x 5in viewing window on the rear of a super and thinned down the frame rails so you can look in between the frames when you remove a magnetized wood ‘plug’. Can see more than I thought you would. (plus bee bellies are cute) Same hive has thermostat controlled solar cooling fan and temperature / humidity sensors in it. It’s our little ‘ROBO Hive’

[tandemrx]

Watchdog, do give details of your solar controlled fan. Pretty cool idea.

On the camera front, this week I am expecting a swarm from my observation hive (packed to the gills with bees - no room in the inn at all - crazy in there). So, for kicks, since I was working in my office a lot this week I put a webcam with a long USB extension out the window and up to the roof where the exit to the obs hive is, just so I could keep tabs on what was going on. It was kinda fun. (would take camera in at night - rain would be an obvious problem).

[Watchdog2020]

I actually spent the $100 to get one so I could copy it and make more. The idea first is to compare a hive with the ventilator and one with out but the darn electronics company shorted me one wireless humidity / temp sensor. However, last week in was in the 90’s and the ventilated hive had Zero bees fanning on the landing board, and the other 7 had tons fanning.

http://www.beecoolventilators.com/

[colbec]

Coincidentally I have been playing with this idea this morning.



Here's my setup:
Colony is located about 150' from my house. Location has power but no wired ethernet, just wifi-g.
Camera is a Cisco WVC80N. Using mplayer on OpenSUSE Linux 11.4 to display a small 320x160 live video image on my main working machine.
The camera is located on top of the hive looking down. It is a recent split so I am interested in field bee movement.

[tecrench]

How did you get power source? Cabin is only 125 feet you can run 24v and step it down to 12 v at the cam get 1500' for the power. run a cat5 video Balun ( up to 2 miles or on fiber $$$ many miles).
Also on the DVR or webserver stuff, getting one has an app for the smart phone or iPad is a great way to check up on your property

[tecrench]

Have been concerned if the IR on the cams would bug the bees, them if I used it like shooting thought the SBB?

[johnblagg]

a solar powerd fan would be a breeze ,small solar panel a old computer fan and a old mechanical thermostat your in business.Not sure but what a new digital thermostat could be used if the temp sensor could be moved and put on a wires to get it inside the hive you could realy get better accuracy