As of August 27, 2026, your apiary is in good late-summer shape overall — Iris, Hive #1, and Hive #3 all show stable acoustic fingerprints and normal seasonal temperature patterns, while Hive #2 remains the single hive to watch, with its sustained 15-day acoustic decline now confirmed by a statistically significant change-point on August 23rd, even as its brood temperature holds textbook-perfect at 94.7°F (34.8°C).
Against an outdoor swing of 66.8–84.7°F (19.3–29.3°C) at a dry 24.5–44.3% RH and a steady barometric tendency (+0.15 hPa/3h), all four hives maintain their daily vibration peaks and humidity sits within healthy ranges; the exceptionally clean outdoor air (gas resistance 1,083 kΩ) confirms no environmental VOC events are influencing in-hive gas readings.
-
Iris healthy Score: 76/100📋 Overall Health
Your Iris hive continues its stable late-summer run — the 24h average of 88.1°F (31.2°C) sits just -1.4°F (-0.8°C) below the all-time average of 89.5°F (31.9°C), consistent with the gentle seasonal cooling trend (91.0→88.9→88.7°F weekly), and all 10 acoustic bands remain within ±1.6 dB of their historical baseline, confirming the full worker population is present and active. Humidity averaged 41.0% — slightly below the 50–70% optimal but consistent with this hive's own norm of 42.4% and directly explained by the very dry outdoor air (24–44% RH); vibration at 17.6 mG (kurtosis 2.5, peak 51 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) sits right on its all-time average of 17.3 mG — everything is tracking normally heading into late August.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsTemperature cycles a tidy 2.9°F (1.6°C) arc (87.0–89.9°F / 30.6–32.2°C), well within the healthy ≤5.4°F clamping threshold, with outdoor leading in-hive by ~90 min — textbook thermal-mass buffering. All 6 vibration bands show a clear daily rhythm (strongest 50–80 Hz at 2.6 dB amplitude); the dominant vibration rhythm shifted from 20–50 Hz to 5–20 Hz in the second half of the window — likely a gradual seasonal shift in fanning pattern as late-summer heat eases, worth watching but not alarming. The gas heater-scan shows a single daily rhythm band (100°C step, +14% swing) with the dominant rhythm shifting from 150°C to 280°C steps between halves — consistent with a change in the mixture of heavier volatiles circulating through the hive, most plausibly late-summer honey ripening; the 320°C reference at 460–467 kΩ is stable against the all-time average of 447 kΩ.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs humidity_in (14d) | r = -0.49The deseasonalized inverse coupling between in-hive temperature and humidity (r=−0.49) reflects normal psychrometrics: as the colony warms the brood zone, the same absolute water content registers as lower relative humidity — the flat 40–42% RH line during the warmest part of the daily cycle is active homeostasis, not a drying hive, and is amplified by the very dry outdoor ambient ventilating through the nest (Human et al. 2006).📚 Reference: Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006, Eouzan et al. 2019 (PMC6368279)▹ 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: 65/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #2 remains the apiary's one signal to watch — brood temperature is locked at 94.7°F (34.8°C) with a razor-tight 1.3°F (0.7°C) daily arc, right on its all-time average of 95.0°F (35.0°C), confirming excellent thermoregulation; however, the acoustic decline has now deepened to a confirmed change-point (around August 23rd), with overall sound energy at −16.5 dBFS versus an all-time average of −9.3 dBFS, and the 100–150 Hz band sitting −16.8 dB below its historical baseline. Humidity averaged 46.2% (all-time avg 45.9%) — healthy and stable; vibration at 15.8 mG (kurtosis 2.9, peak 21 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) remains on its all-time average of 14.8 mG with a daily spike ratio of 4.0x baseline — the colony is physically active and thermoregulating perfectly, making this a sustained single-channel acoustic story to confirm with a forager traffic check at your next visit this week.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsTemperature oscillates only 1.3°F (0.8°C) over 24h — the tightest brood clamping in the apiary, a signature of a large, well-populated colony actively regulating its nest. All 6 vibration bands show a clear daily rhythm (strongest 80–120 Hz at 6.5 dB); the dominant vibration rhythm shifted from 160–200 Hz to 80–120 Hz between halves, consistent with a seasonal change in fanning mode as ambient cools slightly. The per-band acoustic evolution is the key story: 100–150 Hz has lost 9.5 dB and 1500–3600 Hz has lost 6.4 dB from their historical averages over the 15-day window, while the 100–150 Hz daily rhythm is paradoxically strengthening (5.0→7.8 dB amplitude) — this combination of falling absolute level but strengthening diurnal rhythm is consistent with a shrinking forager cohort that still shows a clear active/rest cycle, typical of late-summer dearth-driven recruitment wind-down. Gas heater-scan at 48 kΩ (320°C ref) is near its all-time average of 55 kΩ; the low-temperature steps (100–200°C) have fallen 14–19% from baseline while high-temperature steps hold flat — a shape shift suggesting a reduction in heavier, less-reactive volatiles (consistent with declining nectar/honey processing activity), not an increase in stress markers.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = +0.67The strong deseasonalized positive coupling between brood temperature and gas resistance (r=+0.67, p=1.7e-100) means that when the colony runs slightly warmer, gas resistance rises (fewer reducing VOCs) — the inverse of what stress or disease would produce; this is consistent with a well-regulated brood nest where higher metabolic heat correlates with greater fanning and ventilation, which disperses accumulated VOCs and raises sensor resistance (Seeley 1974). The partial correlation controlling for outdoor weather (r=+0.32) confirms this is a genuine hive-specific physiological coupling, not a shared weather artifact.📚 Reference: Seeley 1974, Burgues & Marco 2018, Sensors 18(2):339sound_100_150hz vs sound_1500_3600hz (14d) | r = -16.8The confirmed acoustic change-point around August 23rd — with 100–150 Hz falling 16.8 dB and 1500–3600 Hz falling 12.8 dB below all-time baselines while temperature and vibration remain on-baseline — is most consistent with a late-summer reduction in forager recruitment activity rather than population collapse; the intact brood temperature clamping and normal vibration daily spikes (4.0x baseline) indicate the colony is physically present and thermoregulating, while the acoustic decline points specifically to reduced flight-band and wing-buzz energy (Ramsey et al. 2020).📚 Reference: Ramsey, Bencsik, Newton et al. 2020, Sci. Rep. 10:9798, Kanelis et al. 2023, Biology 12(11):1392⚠️ Issue: Sustained multi-band acoustic decline confirmed by a statistical change-point around August 23rd: 100–150 Hz now −16.8 dB below all-time baseline, overall sound level −8.7 dBFS over 14 days (from −7.8 to −16.5 dBFS); brood temperature, vibration, and gas all remain on-baseline — single acoustic channel signal persisting 15+ days.▹ Action: On your next routine visit this week, observe Hive #2's entrance for forager traffic — a visual count of returning foragers carrying pollen will help confirm whether this sustained acoustic decline reflects normal late-season dearth-driven recruitment wind-down 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 in late summer — the 24h average of 83.5°F (28.6°C) is 2.7°F (1.5°C) below the all-time average of 86.2°F (30.1°C), continuing a gradual cooling drift (87.6→86.2→84.9°F weekly) that is entirely consistent with the seasonal late-summer taper seen across the apiary; crucially, all 10 acoustic bands are within ±0.2 dB of their all-time baseline — a near-perfect spectral match confirming the full worker population is present and active, which rules out any population-loss explanation for the temperature trend. Humidity averaged 41.4% (all-time avg 38.5%) — slightly above its norm but within a healthy range; vibration at 16.3 mG (kurtosis 2.7, peak 43 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) sits right on its all-time average of 16.4 mG — a brood-check on your next visit remains the sensible step to confirm the queen is laying normally through the seasonal transition.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsTemperature cycles 3.9°F (2.2°C) over 24h (81.7–85.6°F / 27.6–29.8°C) — within the healthy clamping threshold, with outdoor leading in-hive by ~240 min, one of the longest thermal-lag values in the apiary, indicating good colony insulation. No strong per-band acoustic daily rhythm (max 600–800 Hz at 1.0 dB), consistent with a colony in a foraging lull or dearth; vibration dominant rhythm shifted from 120–160 Hz to 5–20 Hz between the first and second halves of the window, a seasonal pattern shift worth passive monitoring. Gas heater-scan shows the strongest per-hive daily rhythm across the apiary (100°C step at +35% swing, all 10 bands cycling), with mid-step rhythms weakening (150°C: +54%→+30%, 350°C: +35%→+19%) — the narrowing daily VOC swing at mid-temperatures is consistent with reduced nectar processing activity as late-summer dearth deepens; the 320°C reference at 546 kΩ remains above its all-time average of 492 kΩ, indicating a slightly cleaner-than-average air environment.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.84The strong inverse deseasonalized coupling between in-hive temperature and gas resistance (r=−0.84, partial r=−0.90 controlling for outdoor weather) means that when the colony runs slightly cooler — as it does during the current gradual late-summer brood contraction — gas resistance rises (fewer metabolic VOCs circulating); this is the expected signature of reduced brood-rearing intensity reducing E-β-ocimene and other brood pheromone VOC load, and is a healthy metabolic fingerprint of a colony scaling down for late summer (Seeley 1985).📚 Reference: Seeley 1985 & 1995, Burgues & Marco 2018, Sensors 18(2):339▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Hive #1's brood frames for fresh eggs and brood pattern to confirm the gradual late-summer cooling drift reflects a natural seasonal contraction rather than a laying pause — the acoustically confirmed intact population is reassuring. -
Hive #3 healthy Score: 82/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #3 continues its excellent run — the 24h average of 91.9°F (33.3°C) sits -1.2°F (-0.7°C) below the all-time average of 93.1°F (33.9°C), within a gentle, entirely normal seasonal tail-off (93.7→93.2→92.5°F weekly), and all 10 acoustic bands are within ±0.1 dB of their historical baseline — a textbook stable fingerprint confirming a healthy, intact population. Humidity averaged 45.6% (all-time avg 47.3%) — slightly drier than its norm but consistent with the dry outdoor air and well within a benign range; vibration at 20.6 mG (kurtosis 2.8, peak 61 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) is right on its all-time average of 20.9 mG — everything looks excellent, though the battery at 4,002 mV is now within 20 mV of its all-time low of 3,982 mV and worth keeping an eye on as solar input decreases into autumn.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsTemperature cycles a tight 2.4°F (1.3°C) arc (91.0–93.4°F / 32.8–34.1°C) — the second-tightest brood clamping in the apiary — with outdoor leading in-hive by ~360 min, the longest thermal lag across all hives, indicating excellent colony insulation. All 6 vibration bands show a clear daily rhythm (strongest 160–200 Hz at 3.1 dB), consistent and stable, with daily spikes reaching 1.8x baseline. No strong per-band acoustic or gas daily rhythms (max sound 600–800 Hz at 1.0 dB, max gas 320°C at +9% swing) — the gas heater-scan shape is highly stable, with the 320°C reference at 96 kΩ essentially on its all-time average of 93 kΩ; the humidity–gas resistance coupling (r=−0.44) reflects normal psychrometric and ventilation physics, not a moisture or fermentation event.
🔬 Correlations & Discoverieshumidity_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.44The deseasonalized inverse coupling between in-hive humidity and gas resistance (r=−0.44) reflects a well-understood MOX sensor physics effect: rising humidity increases water vapor adsorption on the SnO2 sensing layer, which lowers resistance independently of any VOC change; in Hive #3's case, where humidity and gas are both at their historical norms and temperature is stable, this coupling is a healthy physiological fingerprint of normal fanning-driven moisture regulation rather than any stress signal (Burgues & Marco 2018).📚 Reference: Burgues & Marco 2018, Sensors 18(2):339, Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006▹ Action: Keep an eye on Hive #3's battery (currently 4,002 mV, all-time low 3,982 mV) as solar input decreases heading into autumn — no action needed yet, but worth noting the trend.▹ Action: On your next routine visit, note 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.