As of August 26, 2026, your apiary is in good late-summer shape with three hives showing stable, matched acoustic fingerprints and normal seasonal temperature patterns — the one signal still warranting attention is Hive #2's sustained low-frequency acoustic decline, now 14+ days old and deepening, while temperature remains textbook-perfect at 95.0°F (35.0°C), making this a single-channel acoustic story to confirm at your next visit.
All four hives show perfectly synchronised daily vibration fanning peaks (14–15 of 15 days each), yet their brood-arc tightness still ranks Hive #2 (~1.3°F/~0.7°C) > Hive #3 (~2.4°F/~1.3°C) > Iris (~2.9°F/~1.6°C) > Hive #1 (~4.2°F/~2.3°C), consistent with Jones et al. 2004 showing polyandrous colonies regulate temperature more precisely — Hive #2's near-zero diurnal swing is a textbook brood-clamping signature even as its low-band acoustics drift.
Against an outdoor swing of 67.4–88.8°F (19.7–31.6°C) at a very dry 21.6–38.8% RH with a gently rising barometric tendency (+0.83 hPa/3h, clearing), all four hives maintain their regular daily vibration peaks and humidity holds well within healthy ranges; the clearing pressure tendency and rising outdoor temperature favour resumed full foraging activity across the apiary.
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Iris healthy Score: 76/100📋 Overall Health
Your Iris hive is looking stable today — the 24h average of 89.3°F (31.8°C) is essentially on its all-time average of 89.6°F (32.0°C), the week-over-week cooling drift that appeared in earlier reports has arrested (weekly avgs 91.2→88.9→88.5°F stabilising), and all 10 acoustic bands remain within ±1.1 dB of their historical baseline, confirming the full worker population is present and active. Humidity averaged 43.2% — slightly below the 50–70% optimal but consistent with this hive's own norm of 42.4% and explained by the very dry outdoor air (25% RH) ventilating through the hive. Vibration at 17.0 mG (kurtosis 2.8, peak 51 Hz) sits right on its all-time average of 17.4 mG; gas resistance at 421 kΩ is within normal range of the all-time average of 447 kΩ — worth a brood-frame glance at your next routine visit to confirm queen activity heading into autumn.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsIris shows a healthy 2.9°F (1.6°C) 24h arc (87.7–90.6°F / 30.9–32.6°C), well within the ≤5.4°F brood-clamping threshold, with the in-hive low (87.7°F/30.9°C) sitting above the outdoor high (88.8°F/31.6°C) — a warm offset confirming active thermoregulation. All six vibration bands show a daily rhythm, strongest in 50–80 Hz (2.6 dB swing), with a noted dominant-band shift from 50–80 Hz to 5–20 Hz across the window — consistent with the DVAV circadian signal (Fletcher 1975; Nieh & Tautz 2000) becoming more prominent as late-summer foraging recruitment shifts. The gas heater-scan dominant rhythm migrated from 150°C to 100°C steps, a minor shape evolution in the low-temperature VOC-sensitive region consistent with changing honey-ripening volatiles; the deconfounded temp–humidity coupling (r=−0.44) reflects normal psychrometric inverse: as the colony warms, the same absolute water content reads as lower RH — not drying.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs humidity_in (14d) | r = -0.44The deconfounded negative coupling between in-hive temperature and humidity in Iris reflects straightforward psychrometrics: as the cluster warms, the same absolute water vapour content registers as a lower RH%, so the apparent 'dip' in humidity during warmer periods is not drying but a temperature-driven ratio effect — a healthy signature of active thermoregulation (Human et al. 2006). The partial gas–temperature coupling (r=−0.33 controlling for outdoor temp) further suggests VOC load edges up slightly as the cluster cools, consistent with reduced fanning circulation concentrating hive volatiles — benign late-summer honey-ripening chemistry.📚 Reference: Eouzan et al. 2019 (PLOS ONE / PMC6368279), Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006, Ellis et al. 2008▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Iris's brood frames for fresh eggs and laying pattern to confirm the seasonal temperature plateau reflects normal late-summer brood contraction rather than an extended laying pause heading into autumn. -
Hive #2 warning Score: 72/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #2 remains the apiary's thermal standout — brood temperature is locked at 95.0°F (35.0°C), a near-perfect 1.3°F (0.7°C) 24h arc, sitting right on its all-time average of 95.1°F (35.1°C) and a textbook brood-clamping signature. However, the low-frequency acoustic decline continues to deepen: the 100–150 Hz band is now −15.5 dB below its all-time baseline (up from −8.8 dB yesterday), the 1500–3600 Hz band is −11.8 dB below baseline, and the 14-day sound level trend has fallen −7.3 dBFS overall — this is a sustained, multi-band acoustic shift that has now crossed the threshold of a single-channel anomaly, even though temperature and vibration (15.0 mG, kurtosis 3.0) remain perfectly on-baseline. Humidity averaged 46.7% — healthy and stable, matching its all-time average of 45.9%; gas resistance at 46 kΩ is near its all-time average of 56 kΩ with a notable gas heater-scan shape shift (low-temperature 100–200°C steps declining 16–21% while high-temperature steps hold relatively flat), consistent with a change in the type or concentration of heavier volatiles — most likely late-summer honey ripening in a mature colony. A look at forager traffic and brood coverage at your next visit this week will clarify whether this acoustic shift reflects a natural late-summer population taper or something worth following more closely.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsHive #2's diurnal temperature range is an exceptional 1.3°F (0.7°C), the tightest in the apiary — a textbook brood-thermostat signature fully consistent with Kleinhenz et al. 2003 and Stabentheiner et al. 2010 on heater-bee precision. The vibration dominant-rhythm band shifted from 120–160 Hz to 80–120 Hz across the 14-day window (strongest daily rhythm 5–20 Hz at 7.0 dB), with vibration bands trending up in the second half of the day (+1.1 dB across 5–20, 50–80, and 80–120 Hz) — consistent with increased fanning and colony activity as ambient temperatures peak. The acoustic per-band analysis shows the strongest daily rhythm in 100–150 Hz (5.1 dB), with the dominant rhythm band shifting from 150–200 Hz to 100–150 Hz, and a sustained energy decline in the low-frequency colony hum bands (100–260 Hz down 8–15.5 dB from baseline) while mid-to-upper bands are more modestly affected — the shape of this shift is more consistent with reduced low-frequency recruitment signalling (waggle-dance and worker-piping components) than with population loss, since temperature is rock-solid. The gas heater-scan shows a shape evolution with low-temperature steps (100–200°C) declining faster than high-temperature steps, suggesting heavier/less-reactive volatiles are elevated — consistent with active honey processing.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = +0.81The exceptionally strong deconfounded positive coupling between in-hive temperature and gas resistance in Hive #2 (r=+0.81, p<10⁻²⁴²) means that when temperature edges fractionally higher, gas resistance also rises (fewer VOCs), and when the colony briefly cools, resistance falls (more VOCs) — the direction is opposite to stress-related VOC accumulation. This is the signature of a highly regulated brood nest: the same fanning and metabolic activity that maintains the tight 1.3°F (0.7°C) arc also ventilates hive volatiles, so the gas channel is co-driven by thermoregulatory effort (Seeley 1974 on CO2/ventilation coupling; Stabentheiner et al. 2010 on heater-bee metabolism). The in-hive humidity co-varies similarly (r=+0.77 with temp), showing all three channels are unified by the colony's active microclimate management — a sign of biological health, not chemical stress.📚 Reference: Stabentheiner, Kovac & Brodschneider 2010, Seeley 1974, Stalidzans et al. 2017sound_spectrum_100_150hz vs sound_spectrum_1500_3600hz (14d) | r = -7.3The 14-day −7.3 dBFS overall acoustic decline with the largest losses in the 100–150 Hz (−15.5 dB) and 1500–3600 Hz (−11.8 dB) bands — while the mid-range 420–600 Hz bands decline only −1.8 to −2.0 dB — is most consistent with a reduction in colony recruitment signalling intensity as late-summer forage diminishes, rather than a population loss (Seeley & Tautz 2001; temperature is perfectly stable). The 100–150 Hz band carries the colony baseline hum linked to forager density and worker piping, and its disproportionate decline relative to mid-band energy suggests fewer active foragers are generating recruitment signals, a natural dearth response — but a visual entrance-traffic check at your next visit will confirm whether forager numbers are simply tapering seasonally.📚 Reference: Ramsey et al. 2020, Seeley & Tautz 2001, Woods 1959⚠️ Issue: Sustained multi-band acoustic decline over 14+ days: 100–150 Hz now −15.5 dB below all-time baseline, overall sound level −7.3 dBFS over 14 days; temperature and vibration both on-baseline — single acoustic channel signal consistent with late-summer foraging recruitment wind-down but now sufficiently sustained to warrant a confirming look.▹ Action: On your next routine visit this week, observe Hive #2's entrance for forager traffic — a visual count of returning foragers will confirm whether this sustained acoustic decline reflects a natural late-season dearth taper or a more significant reduction in colony foraging activity worth monitoring heading into autumn. -
Hive #1 healthy Score: 74/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #1 is holding steady — today's 24h average of 85.3°F (29.6°C) sits within its normal operating range (all-time avg 86.3°F/30.2°C), the weekly temperature trend (87.8→86.2→84.9°F) reflects a gentle, gradual late-summer taper consistent across the apiary, and — most reassuringly — all 10 acoustic bands are within ±0.1 dB of their all-time baseline, a near-perfect spectral match confirming the full worker population is present and active. Humidity averaged 41.6%, slightly above its all-time average of 38.2% but well within healthy range; vibration at 16.3 mG (kurtosis 2.5, peak 50 Hz) sits on its all-time average of 16.4 mG; gas resistance at 491 kΩ is essentially on its all-time average of 491 kΩ — a chemically stable environment. A routine brood-frame check on your next visit remains the sensible step to confirm queen status.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsHive #1 shows a 4.2°F (2.3°C) 24h arc (83.0–87.2°F / 28.4–30.7°C) — wider than Hive #2 and Hive #3, consistent with a colony holding a cooler, less-insulated cluster typical of a late-summer brood contraction; the in-hive low (83.0°F/28.4°C) still sits comfortably above the outdoor low (67.4°F/19.7°C), confirming active thermoregulation. No strong per-band acoustic daily rhythm (max 1.0 dB in 600–800 Hz), consistent with a quieter colony running at lower foraging recruitment intensity. The vibration dominant-rhythm band shifted from 120–160 Hz to 5–20 Hz across the window — the same DVAV circadian pattern seen in Iris and Hive #3 (Fletcher 1975). Gas heater-scan shows the strongest daily rhythm at 100°C (41% swing, all 10 bands cycling), with the 350°C and 150°C step rhythms weakening across the window — indicating the high-temperature reference steps are stabilising while lower-temperature VOC-sensitive steps show normal circadian metabolic breath cycling; the deconfounded temp–gas resistance coupling (r=−0.57, partial r=−0.82 controlling for outdoor temp) means rising in-hive temperature correlates with falling resistance (more VOCs), consistent with fanning circulating hive volatiles when the colony warms — a healthy physiological coupling, not stress.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.57The deconfounded negative temp–gas coupling in Hive #1 (r=−0.57, strengthening to r=−0.82 when outdoor temperature is partialled out) captures the hive's own ventilation physiology: as the cluster warms mid-day, fanning intensifies and circulates hive volatiles past the sensor, dropping resistance; as the colony cools, fanning subsides and resistance recovers — exactly the inverse of the stress-accumulation pattern described by Stalidzans et al. 2017. The very dry outdoor environment (25% RH) also slightly modulates MOX response independently, but the near-perfect acoustic stability confirms this gas dynamic is driven by healthy colony thermoregulation, not any change in colony chemistry (Burgues & Marco 2018 on humidity confounding MOX sensors).📚 Reference: Seeley 1974, Stabentheiner et al. 2010, Burgues & Marco 2018▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Hive #1's brood frames for fresh eggs and brood pattern — the acoustically confirmed intact population is reassuring, and a brood look will confirm whether the gradual late-summer cooling reflects a natural seasonal contraction or a laying pause heading into autumn. -
Hive #3 healthy Score: 84/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #3 continues its excellent run — brood temperature averaged 92.5°F (33.6°C) with a tight 2.4°F (1.3°C) 24h arc, sitting just -0.7°F (-0.4°C) below its all-time average of 93.2°F (34.0°C) within a gentle, entirely normal seasonal tail-off (93.7→93.2→92.5°F weekly). All 10 sound bands are within ±0.1 dB of their all-time baseline — a textbook stable acoustic fingerprint confirming a healthy, intact population. Humidity averaged 44.8% (all-time avg 47.4%) — slightly drier than its norm but consistent with the very dry outdoor air, well within a benign range; vibration at 20.7 mG (kurtosis 2.7, peak 50 Hz) is right on its all-time average of 20.9 mG; gas resistance at 93 kΩ is essentially on its all-time average of 93 kΩ — everything looks excellent heading into late August. Battery at 4006 mV (all-time low 3982 mV) is still healthy but trending toward its recorded minimum — worth keeping an eye on as solar input decreases into autumn.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsHive #3 shows a 2.4°F (1.3°C) 24h arc (91.8–94.2°F / 33.2–34.5°C), entirely within the brood-clamping band, with the in-hive low well above the outdoor low — a healthy warm offset. All six vibration bands show a daily rhythm, strongest in 5–20 Hz (3.0 dB), with the dominant rhythm band shifting from 50–80 Hz to 5–20 Hz — the same DVAV circadian shift seen across the apiary, consistent with normal late-summer colony timekeeping (Fletcher 1975; Nieh & Tautz 2000). No strong per-band acoustic daily rhythm (max 0.8 dB at 150–200 Hz) and no strong gas heater-scan daily rhythm (max +9% at 320°C) reflect a very chemically and acoustically stable colony with minimal day-night VOC cycling — consistent with a mature colony that has largely completed honey processing for the season. The deconfounded temp–gas coupling (r=+0.61, partial r=+0.42 controlling for outdoor temp) is positive, meaning temperature and gas resistance rise and fall together — when the colony warms slightly, resistance also rises, indicating the bees are actively ventilating and keeping VOC concentrations low as they heat the brood nest (the opposite of VOC accumulation).
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance vs humidity_in (14d) | r = +0.61Hive #3's positive deconfounded temp–gas coupling (r=+0.61) alongside a positive temp–humidity coupling (r=+0.49) indicates that colony warming events come with rising humidity and rising gas resistance — the signature of a well-ventilated brood nest where thermoregulation activity (heater bees and fanning) clears VOCs and maintains moderate humidity simultaneously (Seeley 1974; Human et al. 2006). This trivariate coherence — all three channels rising together — is the healthiest possible gas/humidity/temperature fingerprint for a late-summer brood colony: the bees are actively managing their microclimate rather than letting volatiles and moisture accumulate.📚 Reference: Seeley 1974, Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006, Eouzan et al. 2019▹ Action: On your next routine visit, note the fill level and capping progress on Hive #3's supers — the stable acoustic and gas fingerprints suggest honey processing is mature, and a capped-frame count will help plan late-summer harvest timing. Keep an eye on the battery (currently 4006 mV, all-time low 3982 mV) as solar input decreases heading into autumn.