BEE-OPTIMA International Workshop on ICT-enabled Optimization and Digital Innovation in Beekeeping

Analysis of Honey Production and Honey Yield per Beehive in Türkiye Using an ARIMAX Model in the Context of Climate Change

2026-06-25T03:59:54Z

Analysis of Honey Production and Honey Yield per Beehive in Türkiye Using an ARIMAX Model in the Context of Climate Change Bulut, Mutlu This study examines the relationship between climate conditions and beekeeping perfor-mance in Türkiye using annual data for the 1991–2022 period. Total honey production, total number of hives, honey yield per hive, and annual average temperature are analysed within a time series framework. Stationarity is assessed using the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) unit root test, and the results indicate that all variables become stationary af-ter first differencing. Based on information criteria, ARIMA(0,1,1) is selected for total honey production and ARIMA(2,1,0) for honey yield per hive. These baseline specifications are then extended to ARIMAX models by including annual average temperature as an exoge-nous variable. The findings show that temperature has a negative but weak and only mar-ginally significant association with total honey production. In contrast, temperature has a negative and statistically significant effect on honey yield per hive, suggesting that productivity is more sensitive to climatic pressures than aggregate production levels. Overall, the results indicate that focusing solely on total production may understate cli-mate-related impacts in beekeeping, while yield-based indicators provide a clearer signal of environmental stress.

Mobile Beekeeping Approach for Sensitive Beekeeping Tech-nologies

2026-06-25T04:04:03Z

Mobile Beekeeping Approach for Sensitive Beekeeping Tech-nologies Varol, Ekin; Yücel, Banu Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) play a vital role in the sustainability of the natural ecosys-tem, environmental health, and the protection of life. Their role extends beyond the pro-duction of bee products; they are fundamental to the pollination process of plants and play a key role in the reproduction of cultivated flora. For these reasons, research into so-lutions to protect and support the existence of honeybees is of great importance. Tradi-tional beekeeping methods rely heavily on the beekeeper’s experience and manual inspec-tion of colonies. However, these inspections both stress the colony, disrupt the delicate thermal balance within the hive, and may be insufficient for detecting immediate problems. Especially in large-scale apiaries, physically inspecting hundreds of hives at regular intervals is quite difficult. Technological advancements offer new approaches that allow for remote and real-time monitoring of hive conditions. These systems give beekeepers the opportunity to make data-driven decisions and act proactively against potential threats. Maintaining colony health and increasing productivity are central to this technological adaptation. Today, the effects of developing technology are beginning to be seen in bee-keeping; rapid advancements in temperature and sound measurement systems and in-formation technologies have made it possible to apply precision agriculture technologies with mobile data. Using mobile data, it is possible to monitor colonies, track real-time temperature, humidity, meteorological data, and changes in bee movement. Furthermore, the use of precision beekeeping technologies allows for the evaluation of colony perfor-mance data, the development of specially designed tools for colonies, specially designed beehives, bee product harvesting machines, the use of smartphones in marketing, and many other new technologies are becoming increasingly widespread. Precision beekeep-ing emerged as a response to the need to manage beekeeping in the most optimal way. In this context, the widespread decline in honeybee colonies recorded especially in recent years has led to the increasing application of precision agriculture technologies in bee-keeping to identify possible causes and design countermeasures. This allows for monitor-ing colony activity and gathering deeper information about this phenomenon. Preci-sion-beekeeping integrates technology aimed at managing an apiary effectively and prac-tically through the use of mobile data, reducing the risk of situations that could lead to bee population losses. Precision beekeeping is defined as a hive management strategy based on monitoring individual bee colonies to minimize resource consumption and maximize bee productivity. However, the feasibility of widely using and implementing an economi-cally viable system for beekeepers is still lacking. Uncertainty regarding the bene-fit/investment ratio, complexity in use, and the additional operating costs required for sensors and electronics are among the obstacles to the implementation of existing preci-sion beekeeping systems. Collaboration between research teams from different disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, physics, ethology, etc., could lead to greater effective-ness in integrating mobile beekeeping into precision beekeeping technologies.

Stress Factors in Honeybee Colonies and Prevention Possibilities

2026-06-25T04:07:27Z

Stress Factors in Honeybee Colonies and Prevention Possibilities Yücel, Banu; Varol, Ekin As with all livestock planning, the goal in beekeeping is to achieve maximum yield. Bee-keeping, being one of the livestock branches most affected by environmental conditions, also experiences stress factors that reduce production performance, negatively impacting the targeted yield. Stress leads to a decrease in population strength and a shortened lifespan of adult bees in honeybee colonies. Incorrect management practices cause stress in honeybee colonies. The main factors leading to high levels of stress in the bee colony, re-duced survival and production performance, include: not using a genetically unsuitable queen bee breed and/or ecotype; an old queen bee in the hive; unsuitable apiary location; insufficient access to nectar and pollen sources; exposure of hives to excessive heat and inadequate ventilation and poor wintering practices. Failure to adhere to necessary tech-nical rules, particularly during the transportation of honeybees to nectar sources, can lead to bee deaths due to increased temperatures inside the hive, or cause stress to the colony by resulting in the loss of the queen bee during transport. Furthermore, stress caused by ad-verse conditions such as high humidity inside the hive, bad weather, and insufficient nectar and pollen weakens the bees’ immune system, leading to the emergence of various adult and brood diseases. The medications used to combat bee diseases and pests also constitute a separate source of stress for the bees. By correctly applying hive management techniques and prevents causing stress can be eliminated, resulting in increased bee productivity.

Increasing The Use of Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) In Greenhouse Cultivation in DOKAP Provinces

2026-06-25T04:25:55Z

Increasing The Use of Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris) In Greenhouse Cultivation in DOKAP Provinces Aktürk, Salim; Akdeniz, Gökhan; Aydın, Habip; Yılmaz, Güven; Alparslan, Süleyman; Okuyan, Samet; Ünal, Özkan; Solmaz, Serhat; Şahin, Ahmet Emir; Sansar, Saffet; Kuvancı, Ahmet; Kılıçin, Tunay; Durgut, Alper In greenhouse cultivation, the inability to ensure adequate and high-quality pollina-tion leads to problems such as reduced fruit set, fruit deformities, and yield losses. Under greenhouse conditions, particularly in tomato production, limited air move-ment and low temperatures substantially restrict natural pollination in tomato plants. For this reason, the use of biological pollinators in protected agriculture has gained increasing importance in recent years. In Türkiye, the use of Bombus bees for pollination has become widespread in the Mediterranean and Aegean Regions, where greenhouse cultivation is intensive. The primary aim of this study was to promote the use of Bombus terrestris in other regions and to determine its effects. Within this scope, the study was conducted by the Apiculture Research Institute, affiliated with the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, with support from the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye and the Eastern Black Sea Project Regional Development Administration (DOKAP). The study was carried out in the provinces of Artvin, Bayburt, Gümüşhane, Trabzon, Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, Tokat, Amasya, and Çorum, where the use of bumble bees is limited. Field applications were implemented in a total of 47 tomato-producing enterprises, and 100 bumble bee colonies were used. In the study, bee-free plots were established by isolating the areas in a way that pre-vented bee entry, and the growth status of tomato seedlings under both environ-mental conditions was recorded. For harvested tomatoes, fruit length and width, color, weight per fruit, pH, and °Brix values were measured. The results showed that, in nearly all provinces, there were statistically significant differences in length, width, color, and weight per fruit in the with bees plots (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were detected in pH and °Brix values (P>0.05). Overall, the findings in-dicated that the use of bumble bees improved certain quality traits in tomatoes, while it did not produce a marked change in some chemical characteristics.