Your apiary is showing mixed signals in mid-May. Three hives (Iris, Hive #1, Hive #2) are maintaining healthy brood temperatures around 34–35°C, but Hive #3 is running cold at 29°C—a significant 5–6°C below the ideal 34–36°C range, suggesting possible population stress or early queenlessness. Air quality concerns are emerging across Hives #2 and #3 with elevated eCO2 and bVOC levels that warrant close attention.
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node_2662 healthy Score: 78/100📋 Overall Health
Your Iris hive is performing well with stable brood temperature at 34.14°C and excellent humidity balance at 55.49%—both in the ideal range for active spring brood rearing. Sound spectrum is flat and normal (no single frequency band stands out), vibration is quiet and smooth (kurtosis 2.3), and air quality metrics are strong (IAQ 53, eCO2 719 ppm, bVOC 0.82 ppm). Tilt is 7°, which is acceptable. This hive shows textbook healthy colony behavior for late May.
▹ Action: Continue routine monitoring; no immediate action required.▹ Action: Watch for any rise in 200–260 Hz sound energy over the next 1–2 weeks, which could signal early swarm preparation in late May.▹ Action: Verify tilt is stable—7° is acceptable but monitor for drift beyond 10° over the coming days. -
node_44812 healthy Score: 74/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #1 maintains solid brood conditions at 34.16°C with dry but acceptable humidity at 43.95%. Air quality is good (IAQ 117, eCO2 1357 ppm, bVOC 3.49 ppm)—the eCO2 is elevated but still within reasonable spring range, and bVOC is moderate. Sound spectrum shows a mild peak in the 350–420 Hz band (0.576), which falls within the queen-presence detection range but is not dramatically elevated. Vibration is stable (0.0147 g, kurtosis 2.1), with most energy in the 5–20 Hz band. Tilt is excellent at 5°. Overall, this hive is building strength for late spring.
⚠️ Issue: eCO2 moderately elevated at 1357 ppm—slightly higher than ideal 1000 ppm for healthy spring operation.⚠️ Issue: Humidity trending dry (43.95%); monitor to ensure larvae are not desiccating (optimal is 50–70%).▹ Action: Continue monitoring eCO2; if it rises above 1500 ppm, check for entrance blockages or congestion.▹ Action: Confirm that the 350–420 Hz sound peak is stable and not increasing—this band can indicate queen presence, which is favorable; rising energy here could suggest pre-swarm behavior.▹ Action: If humidity continues to drop below 40%, consider adding a water source near the hive or ensuring adequate incoming nectar (water-rich forage). -
node_34225 warning Score: 62/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #2 has healthy brood temperature (34.97°C) but is showing concerning air quality red flags: eCO2 is elevated at 1549 ppm and bVOC is notably high at 5.4 ppm—more than 6× the normal baseline and suggesting possible nectar fermentation, early disease VOC production, or poor ventilation. Humidity is on the dry side at 48.32%, and the sound spectrum shows an interesting peak in the 200–260 Hz band (0.631), which can indicate swarming preparation or queen signaling, but this must be correlated with the VOC spike. Vibration is very quiet (0.0087 g, kurtosis 2.2), and the 5–20 Hz vibration band dominates, consistent with low external disturbance.
⚠️ Issue: Elevated eCO2 (1549 ppm) and bVOC (5.4 ppm) suggesting potential ventilation issues or early fermentation/disease.⚠️ Issue: Sound spectrum energy concentrated in 200–260 Hz band (0.631)—could indicate queen signaling or early swarm behavior.⚠️ Issue: Low humidity (48.32%) may be contributing to stress if combined with poor ventilation.▹ Action: Inspect this hive within 2–3 days: look for moldy comb, fermented honey (honey with moisture >20%), or signs of disease (spotty brood, ropey cappings, foul smell).▹ Action: Check ventilation—ensure entrance is clear and upper entrance (if present) is unobstructed. Poor ventilation can trap CO2 and VOCs.▹ Action: If elevated bVOC persists and correlates with visible mold or fermentation, consider emergency humidity reduction (increase ventilation, reduce hive moisture sources).▹ Action: Note the 200–260 Hz spike; if it increases further or is accompanied by rising temperature, assess for swarm readiness (check for capped queen cells). -
node_547 critical Score: 35/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #3 is in trouble: brood temperature is critically low at 29.03°C—a full 5–6°C below the healthy 34–36°C range and consistent with a failing, queenless, or severely depopulated colony. The 24-hour temperature range (28.4–29.5°C, avg 28.8°C) shows no recovery and no warming trend. This temperature profile suggests the colony has lost thermoregulation capacity, which occurs within 24–48 hours of queen loss. Air quality is relatively good (IAQ 76, eCO2 851 ppm, bVOC 1.1 ppm), and vibration is quiet (kurtosis 2.2), but the low temperature dominates the diagnostic picture. Tilt is excellent at 3°, ruling out physical displacement.
⚠️ Issue: Brood temperature critically low at 29.03°C (5–6°C below ideal), sustained over 24+ hours—hallmark of queenlessness or severe population collapse.⚠️ Issue: No temperature recovery observed in 24-hour data, indicating thermoregulation failure.⚠️ Issue: Possible queenlessness, dead-out, or drone layer (failed queen).▹ Action: INSPECT THIS HIVE IMMEDIATELY: Open and visually check for the queen, brood pattern, and overall population size.▹ Action: If no queen is found and no fresh brood is present, this colony is likely queenless. Options: (1) Re-queen with a mated queen if available, (2) Combine with a strong hive, or (3) Allow colony to perish if no intervention is feasible.▹ Action: If a queen IS present but brood temp remains low, suspect disease (AFB, Nosema) or severe Varroa infestation—send sample to lab if available.▹ Action: Monitor this hive hourly if possible; if temperature drops further below 25°C or remains static, euthanasia or emergency combination may be necessary.▹ Action: Do NOT delay—queenless colonies in May will not recover without intervention and will consume resources without producing value.