AI Beehive Health Report — 2026-08-28

As of August 28, 2026, your apiary is in good late-summer shape — Iris, Hive #1, and Hive #3 all show stable acoustic fingerprints and normal seasonal patterns, while Hive #2 remains the single hive to watch, its sustained 16-day acoustic decline now holding at −16.6 dBFS against an all-time average of −9.7 dBFS, even as brood temperature remains textbook-perfect at 94.7°F (34.8°C) and vibration is fully normal.

Across all four hives, the outdoor air is exceptionally clean (gas resistance 1,083 kΩ versus Hive #2's 47 kΩ), confirming that Hive #2's elevated VOC load is colony-internal — most likely honey ripening or late-season propolis work — and not an apiary-wide environmental event; the barometric tendency is gently rising (+0.98 hPa/3h), consistent with clearing conditions and a return of full foraging activity.

Against an outdoor swing of 63.8–85.7°F (17.6–29.8°C) at a dry 21–42% RH, all four hives maintain clear daily vibration peaks and acoustically stable fingerprints; humidity across the apiary sits in the benign 40–46% range, directly tracking the dry ambient air with no condensation risk at late-summer temperatures.

• Iris healthy Score: 77/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Iris hive continues its stable late-summer run — the 24h average of 86.8°F (30.4°C) is 2.5°F (1.4°C) below the all-time average of 89.3°F (31.8°C), consistent with the gentle seasonal cooling trend (90.9→88.9→88.7→87.4°F weekly), and all 10 acoustic bands are within ±1.4 dB of their historical baseline, confirming the full worker population is present and active. Humidity averaged 40.5% (all-time avg 42.4%) — slightly below the 50–70% optimal but entirely explained by the very dry outdoor air (21–42% RH) and consistent with this hive's own norm; vibration at 17.1 mG (kurtosis 2.9, peak 105 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) sits right on its all-time average of 17.4 mG — everything is tracking normally heading into late August.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Temperature cycles a healthy 5.0°F (2.8°C) arc (84.1–89.0°F / 29.0–31.6°C) with a clear diurnal rhythm; humidity holds a tight 39.4–41.5% band, flat and stable. The per-band spectral analysis shows the dominant sound rhythm shifting from 200–260 Hz to 260–350 Hz between the first and second half of the window — a subtle migration within the colony fundamental band consistent with normal foraging-period dynamics, not an alarm. The 1500–3600 Hz band has weakened slightly (3.0→1.0 dB swing rhythm) while all 6 vibration bands show a daily cycle with the dominant rhythm shifting from 80–120 Hz to 5–20 Hz, likely reflecting a transition toward lower-frequency fanning/settling activity as late-summer ambient heat moderates. Gas heater-scan shows a 14% daily swing strongest at 100°C with the dominant rhythm band shifting 150°C→100°C, consistent with normal daily moisture/VOC cycling; gas resistance at 422 kΩ sits close to the all-time average of 448 kΩ — no meaningful shift.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  temperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.31

  A modest deconfounded partial correlation (r=−0.31) between in-hive temperature and gas resistance — warmer periods coincide with slightly lower gas resistance — reflects the well-established link between colony metabolic activity and VOC output: more active brood heating mobilises more hive volatiles (brood pheromones, honey processing, propolis). With acoustics fully stable and gas resistance near its own historical average, this is normal late-summer colony physiology, not a stress signal.

  📚 Reference: Seeley 1985 & 1995, Winston 1987, Stabentheiner et al. 2010
  ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Iris's brood frames for fresh eggs and laying pattern to confirm the seasonal cooling trend reflects normal late-summer brood contraction heading into autumn.
• Hive #2 warning Score: 62/100
  📋 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 2.0°F (1.1°C) daily arc right on its all-time average of 95.0°F (35.0°C), confirming excellent thermoregulation; however, the acoustic decline has deepened further to −16.6 dBFS (all-time avg −9.7 dBFS, a −6.9 dBFS deviation), with the 100–150 Hz band now −16.0 dB below its historical baseline and the 1500–3600 Hz band −12.3 dB below baseline — a 16-day sustained, multi-band acoustic story that warrants a forager-traffic check at your next visit this week. Humidity averaged 45.0% (all-time avg 46.0%) — healthy and stable; vibration at 15.2 mG (kurtosis 3.0, peak 53 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) remains on-baseline with a 4.1× daily spike ratio — the colony is physically active and thermoregulating perfectly, making this a single-channel acoustic anomaly to confirm visually.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Temperature holds an exceptionally tight 1.5°F (0.8°C) daily oscillation (93.3–95.3°F / 34.1–35.1°C) — textbook broodnest stenothermy. The per-band sound analysis reveals the strongest daily rhythm at 100–150 Hz (5.1 dB, strengthening from 5.3→9.5 dB) while overall energy in this band has dropped −11.1 dB over the window; the 800–1500 Hz band rhythm is strengthening (0.2→5.2 dB) — a pattern where low-frequency colony communication energy has fallen while higher-frequency wingbeat/activity energy persists, consistent with a reduction in foraging recruitment rather than whole-population loss. Gas heater-scan shows a strong humidity–gas coupling (deconfounded r=−0.76): the scan shape shows low-temperature steps (100–200°C) carrying the most rhythm (+14% at 100°C), and band energy has shifted down 17%/15%/12% at 100/150/200°C steps respectively — the low-step sensitivity to moisture suggests the gas channel is partly tracking in-hive humidity variation; gas resistance at 47 kΩ is below its all-time average of 54 kΩ but not dramatically so, and with temperature and acoustics both explaining part of this (deconfounded temp~gas r=−0.44), active late-season honey processing or propolis work is the most likely explanation.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  sound_energy vs sound_spectrum_100_150hz (14d) | r = -0.92

  A statistically confirmed change-point around August 23rd marks a −7.4 dBFS step in overall sound energy, with the largest loss at 100–150 Hz (−16.0 dB vs baseline) — the band associated with colony baseline hum and foraging recruitment; critically, brood temperature and vibration remain fully on-baseline, ruling out population collapse and pointing instead to a dearth-driven reduction in forager recruitment activity as the most parsimonious explanation heading into late summer.

  📚 Reference: Ramsey et al. 2020, Kanelis et al. 2023, Ferrari et al. 2008

  humidity_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.76

  The strong deconfounded coupling between in-hive humidity and gas resistance (r=−0.76, p=2.3e-17) reflects the well-established MOX sensor sensitivity to water vapor: as humidity rises slightly (e.g. during honey ripening or fanning), the SnO2 sensing layer's adsorbed oxygen is partially displaced, lowering resistance independently of any true VOC increase — this humidity-confounded gas signal should be discounted as a standalone health indicator.

  📚 Reference: Winston 1987, White 1978, Burgues & Marco 2018
  ⚠️ Issue: Sustained 16-day multi-band acoustic decline confirmed by a statistical change-point around August 23rd: overall sound level at −16.6 dBFS vs all-time average of −9.7 dBFS; 100–150 Hz band −16.0 dB below baseline, 1500–3600 Hz band −12.3 dB below baseline; brood temperature, vibration, and gas all remain on-baseline — single acoustic channel anomaly persisting 16+ 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 foraging activity worth monitoring heading into autumn.
• Hive #1 warning Score: 70/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Hive #1 continues a gradual but acoustically-confirmed-benign cooling drift — the 24h average of 82.4°F (28.0°C) is now 3.5°F (2.0°C) below the all-time average of 85.9°F (30.0°C), continuing a steady 14-day cooling trend (86.7→82.4°F); however, 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 intact, which rules out any population-loss explanation for this temperature trend and points clearly to a natural broodless or reduced-brood period (post-summer brood contraction, a laying pause, or supersedure gap) as the most likely cause. Humidity averaged 41.1% (all-time avg 38.7%) — slightly above its own norm but well within a healthy range; vibration at 16.4 mG (kurtosis 2.7, peak 47 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) sits exactly on its all-time average of 16.4 mG — the colony is acoustically and vibrationally fully present.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Temperature cycles a 6.4°F (3.6°C) arc (79.2–85.6°F / 26.2–29.8°C) — slightly wider than the 5.4°F brood-clamping threshold, which is consistent with a reduced or absent brood mass requiring less tight thermoregulation, not a sensor placement issue (the in-hive daily low of 79.2°F / 26.2°C remains well above the outdoor low of 63.8°F / 17.6°C, confirming the colony is still buffering ambient). The sound spectrum shows no strong per-band daily rhythm (max 1.0 dB at 600–800 Hz), suggesting foraging activity is relatively steady throughout the day — a late-summer pattern. Only 1 of 6 vibration bands shows a daily cycle (5–20 Hz, 2.0 dB), with the dominant rhythm shifting 120–160 Hz → 5–20 Hz, consistent with low-frequency settling/structural activity increasing relative to fanning. Gas heater-scan shows a very strong daily rhythm in all 10 steps (strongest 100°C at +35% swing), with high-temperature steps weakening (350°C: +30%→+14%, 300°C: +35%→+19%) — this flattening of the high-step rhythm over time indicates decreasing light reducing-gas load at the hotter plate temperatures, consistent with a late-season reduction in fresh-nectar or comb-building volatiles.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  temperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.87

  A strong deconfounded temperature–gas coupling (r=−0.87, partial r=−0.91 controlling for outdoor weather) indicates that as Hive #1's brood area gradually cools over the 14-day window, gas resistance rises — meaning VOC load is falling in step with the temperature decline; this is the expected signature of a natural brood contraction or laying pause, where fewer larvae and less metabolic activity reduce the emission of brood pheromones (E-β-ocimene), honey-ripening volatiles, and propolis terpenes — all benign, and entirely consistent with the intact acoustic fingerprint confirming the worker population is present.

  📚 Reference: Seeley 1985 & 1995, Winston 1987, Maisonnasse et al. 2010
  ⚠️ Issue: Gradual 14-day cooling drift: 24h average 82.4°F (28.0°C) is 3.5°F (2.0°C) below all-time average of 85.9°F (30.0°C), with a 4.3°F (2.4°C) decline over 14 days; acoustic spectrum is perfectly stable (all bands ±0.1 dB), confirming intact population — most likely a natural late-summer brood contraction or laying pause.

  ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Hive #1's brood frames for fresh eggs and brood pattern to confirm the gradual cooling drift reflects a natural late-summer brood contraction rather than an extended laying pause — the acoustically intact population is reassuring and there is no urgency.
• Hive #3 healthy Score: 78/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Hive #3 continues its excellent run — the 24h average of 91.7°F (33.2°C) sits just 1.3°F (0.7°C) below the all-time average of 93.0°F (33.9°C), within a gentle and entirely normal seasonal tail-off (93.6→93.2→92.5→91.6°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 45.1% (all-time avg 47.2%) — slightly drier than its norm but consistent with the dry outdoor air and well within a benign range; vibration at 20.6 mG (kurtosis 2.9, peak 56 Hz, dominant 80–120 Hz band) sits right on its all-time average of 20.9 mG with clear daily peaks — everything looks excellent, though the battery at 4,014 mV has touched its all-time low of 3,982 mV within the last 24 hours and is worth monitoring as solar input decreases into autumn.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Temperature cycles a healthy 3.2°F (1.8°C) arc (89.9–93.1°F / 32.1–34.0°C) — well within the brood-clamping range, with the daily low sitting 26°F above outdoor low, confirming strong active regulation. No strong per-band sound daily rhythm (max 1.0 dB at 600–800 Hz) — consistent with steady late-summer foraging. All 6 vibration bands show a daily cycle, strongest at 5–20 Hz (3.0 dB), with the dominant vibration rhythm shifting 5–20 Hz → 50–80 Hz between first and second half — a natural transition from low-frequency structural/DVAV-type activity toward mid-frequency fanning, consistent with building ambient heat through the day. Gas heater-scan shows no strong daily rhythm (max 9% swing at 320°C), indicating a steady, stable VOC environment; gas resistance at 90 kΩ is very close to the all-time average of 93 kΩ — no meaningful shift from baseline.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  humidity_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.51

  A deconfounded humidity–gas coupling (r=−0.51, p=2.5e-8) reflects the standard MOX sensor physics where higher in-hive humidity partially displaces adsorbed oxygen on the SnO2 layer, lowering resistance; the partial correlation of gas resistance with in-hive temperature (r=−0.60 controlling for outdoor weather) adds the metabolic dimension — warmer, more active brood rearing raises both in-hive humidity and VOC load simultaneously, a coupled signature of a healthy, active colony rather than any single concerning variable.

  📚 Reference: Winston 1987, Burgues & Marco 2018, Eouzan et al. 2019
  ▹ Action: Keep an eye on Hive #3's battery (currently 4,014 mV, all-time low 3,982 mV touched within the last 24h) 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.