AI Beehive Health Report — 2026-09-16

As of September 16, 2026, your apiary is in good shape heading into mid-September — all four hives are acoustically and vibrationally on their own historical baselines, outdoor air remains exceptionally clean (~916 kΩ gas resistance), and the gently rising barometric tendency signals improving foraging conditions. The gradual seasonal cooling visible across Hive #1 and Hive #3 is a normal September contraction arc with fully intact worker populations confirmed by stable acoustics.

All three hives with brood-zone sensors (Hive #2, Hive #1, Hive #3) show a genuine deconfounded temp–humidity coupling (r = +0.85–0.94) that persists after removing the shared diurnal cycle — consistent with Eouzan et al. 2019 and Human et al. 2006, reflecting active hygroregulation tightly coupled to metabolic heat production rather than passive ambient tracking. Hive #2 continues to show the tightest coupling and the tightest brood clamping (±1.9°F / ±1.0°C daily arc), confirming it as the most brood-dense colony in the apiary.

All four hives maintain clear 24-hour vibration fanning rhythms with 80–120 Hz as the dominant band across the apiary, and in-hive humidity across the apiary sits in the 41–49% range — dry but appropriate for the September ambient (outdoor 35–63% RH). Hive #2 remains the most tightly clamped thermally (±1.9°F / ±1.0°C), Hive #3 at ±5.5°F (±3.1°C), Iris at ±3.2°F (±1.8°C), and Hive #1 at ±5.8°F (±3.2°C) — all consistent with their respective brood-zone positions and the gradually cooling September pattern.

• Iris healthy Score: 82/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Iris hive is active and healthy — the 24h average of 85.1°F (29.5°C) is −2.8°F (−1.6°C) below the all-time average of 87.9°F (31.0°C), but the sound spectrum is perfectly stable (all 10 bands within 0.7 dB of baseline, overall −11.1 dBFS matching the all-time −10.9 dBFS) and vibration at 17.0 mG (kurtosis 3.2, peak 111 Hz) is right on the all-time average of 17.3 mG — the fully intact acoustic and vibration profile confirms the worker population is present and active, with the cooler reading consistent with a natural brood-break or seasonal lull, not population loss. Humidity at 41.9% is consistent with dry September ambient, gas resistance at ~423 kΩ is near the all-time average of ~463 kΩ with no acoustic corroboration of concern, and the gently falling 14-day temperature arc is worth a relaxed watch heading into autumn.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Iris shows a clean ±3.2°F (±1.8°C) daily temperature arc with a 190-minute outdoor-lead lag (thermal-mass buffering, not a placement fault), active diurnal vibration cycling (baseline ~16.5 mG rising to ~24.5 mG peaks daily), and humidity holding a tight 40.2–43.5% band. A notable vibration rhythm shift from 50–80 Hz dominance to 20–50 Hz in the second half of the window warrants passive monitoring — this could reflect a gradual shift in fanning or foraging activity patterns as September cools. The gas heater-scan shows only one band with a daily rhythm (100°C step, +14% swing), consistent with moisture-driven low-temperature sensitivity rather than a colony VOC event; the scan shape is flat and stable across the mid and high steps, indicating no meaningful change in hive air chemistry.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  sound_spectrum_200-260Hz vs vibration_20-50Hz (14d) | r = n/a

  The strongest per-band acoustic daily rhythm sits in the 200–260 Hz band (2.3 dB swing) while the dominant vibration rhythm has migrated from 50–80 Hz to 20–50 Hz over the window — the 200–260 Hz acoustic energy is consistent with normal colony hum and foraging activity, while the low-frequency vibration shift may reflect a gradual modulation of DVAV recruitment signalling (~18 Hz) or a change in the mechanical coupling of fanning activity as ambient temperatures cool in September, consistent with Nieh & Tautz 2000.

  📚 Reference: Ramsey et al. 2020, Sci. Rep. 10:9798, Nieh & Tautz 2000, J. Exp. Biol. 203:1573
  ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, glance at Iris's brood frames for fresh eggs — the perfectly stable acoustics and on-baseline vibration confirm a full worker population, and a quick brood check will clarify whether the gradual 14-day temperature cooling arc reflects a natural seasonal brood contraction or a brief brood-break period.
• Hive #2 healthy Score: 92/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Hive #2 continues to be the standout performer in the apiary — brood thermoregulation is textbook at a 24h average of 93.6°F (34.2°C) with a ±1.9°F (±1.0°C) daily arc, squarely in the ideal 93–97°F (34–36°C) band and the tightest clamping across all four hives. All 10 acoustic bands are within 0.1 dB of their all-time baseline (overall −16.5 dBFS vs. all-time −16.6 dBFS), humidity at 44.1% is appropriate for dry September conditions, gas resistance at ~45 kΩ is right on its all-time average of ~44 kΩ, and vibration at 15.1 mG (kurtosis 2.7, peak 62 Hz) is on the all-time average of 14.8 mG with vigorous daily fanning spikes (avg 3.8× baseline). Everything looks excellent heading into autumn.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Hive #2 shows the most compressed diurnal temperature arc in the apiary (±1.9°F / ±1.0°C), a textbook sign of dense, active brood heating. Vibration shows 6/6 bands cycling daily, with the dominant rhythm band shifting from 160–200 Hz to 80–120 Hz and both 80–120 Hz and 120–160 Hz strengthening (5.0→8.2 dB and 4.9→7.9 dB respectively) — this intensification of the fanning/activity bands is consistent with late-season thermoregulatory effort as ambient temperatures cool and the colony invests more in brood maintenance. The gas heater-scan shows no strong daily rhythm (max 9% swing at 300°C), and the scan shape — with a characteristic upturn at the 375–400°C steps — is stable and on-baseline, indicating no meaningful change in hive VOC chemistry.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  temperature vs humidity vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = +0.94

  The strongest deconfounded correlation in the apiary — temp~humidity at r=+0.94 and humidity~gas at r=+0.81, both surviving STL deseasonalisation — reflects Hive #2's tightly coupled brood-zone microclimate: as heater bees raise the brood temperature, absolute water content rises proportionally, and the elevated volatile load from brood pheromones and propolis moves in step with both, consistent with Eouzan et al. 2019's finding that brood-area RH is actively co-regulated with metabolic heat. The falling Colony-State Index PCA (31% residual variance, declining) indicates this tight coupling is becoming slightly more relaxed as the September brood arc contracts — a normal seasonal transition, not a health concern.

  📚 Reference: Eouzan et al. 2019 (PLOS ONE / PMC6368279), Human et al. 2006, Naturwissenschaften 93:397–401, Ellis et al. 2008, J. Insect Physiol. 54:1516–1521
  ▹ Action: Hive #2 looks excellent — on your next routine visit, a quick entrance observation and brood-frame check to confirm fresh eggs will close the loop on three weeks of stable telemetry and give you confidence heading into autumn.
• Hive #1 healthy Score: 78/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Hive #1 is acoustically rock-solid — all 10 sound bands are within 0.1 dB of the all-time baseline (overall −16.3 dBFS vs. all-time −16.4 dBFS) and vibration at 16.6 mG (kurtosis 2.8, peak 40 Hz) is on its all-time average of 16.4 mG, confirming a full, active worker population. The 24h average of 79.7°F (26.5°C) continues a gentle 14-day cooling drift (−1.9°F / −1.0°C over 14 days), which with the stable acoustics is most consistent with a natural seasonal brood contraction as September advances; humidity at 48.1% is slightly above the all-time average of 43.8% and a change-point was detected around September 13 (+2.64% step), worth noting as you head into autumn — the gas resistance at ~544 kΩ is above its all-time average of ~529 kΩ (cleaner air, lower VOC load) and fully corroborates a healthy, untroubled colony environment.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Hive #1 shows a ±5.8°F (±3.2°C) daily temperature arc — the widest in the apiary and consistent with a less densely brooded zone or a colony in seasonal brood contraction — with a 220-minute outdoor thermal-mass lag confirming healthy ambient buffering. The vibration dominant rhythm band shifted from 20–50 Hz to 5–20 Hz in the second half, and the gas heater-scan shows an unusually strong daily cycle across all 10 steps (max +41% at 100°C), most likely driven by the humidity change-point on September 13 (MOX low-temperature steps are most sensitive to water vapor) rather than a genuine VOC chemistry change. Humidity at 47.5–49.6% is within the healthy 40–60% range and the step-up since September 13 is modest and without acoustic or thermal corroboration.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  humidity vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = +0.64

  The genuine deconfounded humidity~gas coupling (r=+0.64) and the strong gas heater-scan daily cycle (all 10 steps cycling, max +41% at the 100°C low-temperature step) are consistent with water-vapor confounding of the MOX sensor: the September 13 humidity step-up (+2.64%) is sufficient to shift MOX resistance across the low-temperature steps independently of any VOC change, as documented by Burgues & Marco 2018. The partial correlation gas~temp controlling for outdoor weather (r=−0.55) — a sign flip from the raw positive — suggests the cooling trend is actually associated with a slight VOC decrease (rising resistance), consistent with reduced late-season brood pheromone load as the brood area contracts, not a stress signal.

  📚 Reference: Burgues & Marco 2018, Sensors 18(2):339, Eouzan et al. 2019 (PLOS ONE / PMC6368279), Ellis et al. 2008, J. Insect Physiol. 54:1516–1521
  ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, confirm fresh eggs in Hive #1's brood frames — the perfectly stable acoustic spectrum and on-baseline vibration confirm the worker population is fully intact, and a brood check will clarify whether the gradual 14-day cooling arc and the modest September 13 humidity step-up reflect a natural seasonal brood contraction.
• Hive #3 healthy Score: 76/100
  📋 Overall Health

  Your Hive #3 continues its healthy run — all 10 acoustic bands are within 0.2 dB of historical baseline (overall −16.4 dBFS vs. all-time −16.3 dBFS), vibration at 20.4 mG (kurtosis 2.8, peak 97 Hz) is right on the all-time average of 20.5 mG, and the stable acoustics confirm a fully intact worker population despite the ongoing 14-day cooling arc (−4.4°F / −2.5°C over 14 days, from 90.9°F (32.7°C) to 86.5°F (30.3°C)). Humidity at 49.2% is right on its all-time average of 46.6% and within a healthy range, gas resistance at ~99 kΩ is on its all-time average of ~94 kΩ — the colony environment is stable. The battery touched 3,998 mV (all-time low 3,976 mV) and continues its gradual descent, worth passive monitoring as September solar input continues to decline.

  🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

  Hive #3 shows a ±5.5°F (±3.1°C) daily arc with a 210-minute outdoor thermal-mass lag, consistent with a colony in seasonal brood contraction riding September ambient cooling. Vibration shows 6/6 bands cycling with the dominant rhythm band shifting from 120–160 Hz to 5–20 Hz in the second half — a low-frequency shift that may reflect a change in the mechanical substrate of fanning activity as the colony cluster contracts, consistent with DVAV circadian patterns (Fletcher 1975). The gas heater-scan shows only 1/10 bands with a daily rhythm (150°C step, +14% swing), and the scan shape — with a gentle upturn at 375–400°C — is stable and on its own historical baseline, indicating no meaningful change in hive VOC chemistry.

  🔬 Correlations & Discoveries

  temperature vs humidity vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = +0.91

  Hive #3's deconfounded temp~humidity (r=+0.91) and temp~gas (r=+0.63) couplings mirror the pattern seen across the apiary and reflect the colony's integrated metabolic response: as the brood area cools with the seasonal arc, both absolute moisture and brood VOC load (pheromones, wax, propolis volatiles) decline in step — consistent with Human et al. 2006's finding that in-hive microclimate is actively co-regulated and with Seeley 1985's documentation of seasonal brood contraction. The falling Colony-State Index PCA (27% residual variance, declining) encodes this gradual late-season transition cleanly.

  📚 Reference: Human et al. 2006, Naturwissenschaften 93:397–401, Stalidzans et al. 2017, Seeley 1985, Honeybee Ecology (Princeton UP)
  ▹ Action: Monitor Hive #3's battery passively — it touched 3,998 mV this window (all-time low 3,976 mV); no action needed yet but keep an eye on the trend as September solar input continues to decline. On your next routine visit, a quick brood check will confirm the colony is laying normally into autumn given the gradual 14-day cooling arc.