AI Beehive Health Report — 2026-09-23

Multi-sensor colony health analysis · 2026-09-23 warning
🐝 Apiary Overview

As of September 23, 2026, all four colonies are acoustically rock-solid with worker populations fully intact — every sound spectrum across the apiary is within ±2 dB of its own historical baseline — while three of the four hives continue a textbook September brood-contraction cooling arc; Hive #2 remains the sole 'watch' hive, now 5 days into a confirmed thermal step-change with acoustics still perfectly stable, making a broodless interval the leading explanation ahead of the next routine inspection.

🔬 Featured Apiary Correlation

Across all four Apimaye poly hives, the deseasonalized in-hive temperature–humidity coupling (r = +0.56 to +0.89) is consistent with psychrometric physics: as brood-break cooling reduces the warm-core vapor-pressure contribution, absolute water content stays similar but RH tracks temperature inversely — a colony-physiology signal, not a ventilation anomaly (Human et al. 2006; Ellis et al. 2008).

🌅 Featured Apiary Diurnal Patterns

All four hives maintain clear daily vibration fanning rhythms with 80–120 Hz as the dominant band; daily peaks range from ~1.5× baseline (Iris, Hive #1) to ~4.0× baseline (Hive #2), consistent with each colony's activity level heading into late September; outdoor temperatures ranging 61–78°F (16–26°C) with a gently rising barometric tendency (+0.37 hPa/3h) and clean outdoor air (~1,090 kΩ gas resistance) support normal foraging conditions across the apiary.

📋 Per-Hive Analysis
  • Iris healthy Score: 76/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Iris hive is acoustically excellent — the 24h average of −10.4 dBFS is right on its all-time −10.8 dB baseline with all bands within ±3.6 dB, confirming the worker population is fully intact; the 14-day cooling drift of −3.7°F (−2.0°C), now averaging 84.4°F (29.1°C) vs. the all-time 86.4°F (30.2°C), is consistent with the apiary-wide September brood-contraction arc. Humidity at 47.5% is slightly below the 50–70% optimal band but reflects the dry outdoor ambient (33–52% RH) ventilating through the screened floor — no colony concern; on your next routine visit, a glance at fresh eggs will confirm whether brood rearing is contracting normally or pausing briefly.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    Active 24h thermal cycle of 83.2–86.5°F (28.5–30.3°C), a 3.3°F (1.8°C) swing — well within the healthy ≤5.4°F (3°C) brood-clamping threshold — with outdoor thermal-mass buffering confirmed (deconfounded r = +0.07; outdoor leads in-hive by ~230 min). Vibration shows a clear daily fanning rhythm peaking at ~24.7 mG (~1.5× baseline) with 80–120 Hz dominant; kurtosis 2.6 is normal (no impulsive disturbance events). Sound spectrum rhythm is shifting from the 200–260 Hz band toward 150–200 Hz between the first and second half of the window — a subtle low-band migration worth watching but not yet outside baseline. Gas heater-scan at ~451 kΩ (320°C step) is essentially on its ~449 kΩ all-time average; the 100°C step has risen +3.2 dB and the 100C heater-scan step shows a −12% energy shift — plausibly reflecting seasonal propolis work or reduced brood-pheromone volatiles as brood contracts, consistent with this hive's own history.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature_in vs humidity_in (14d) | r = +0.89
    The strong deseasonalized temp–humidity coupling (r = +0.89) in Iris reflects psychrometric physics: as the colony cools during the September brood-contraction arc, the same absolute vapor content registers as rising RH% — active hygroregulation is maintaining a stable moisture environment even as the thermal setpoint drifts downward, a sign of a healthy, responsive colony.
    📚 Reference: Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006, Ellis et al. 2008, Eouzan et al. 2019
    gas_resistance vs temperature_in (14d) | r = +0.33
    The partial correlation between gas resistance and in-hive temperature (r = +0.33, controlling for outdoor weather) indicates that as the hive cools with brood contraction, VOC load gently decreases — consistent with reduced brood-pheromone emission (E-β-ocimene peaks at young larval stages) and lower fanning-driven volatile circulation, both expected as September brood rearing winds down.
    📚 Reference: Maisonnasse et al. 2010, Bankova et al. 2000, Seeley 1985
    ⚠️ Issue: 14-day cooling drift of −3.7°F (−2.0°C): 24h avg now 84.4°F (29.1°C) vs. all-time avg 86.4°F (30.2°C) — acoustics confirm population fully intact; consistent with seasonal brood contraction but brood status worth confirming on next routine visit.
    ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Iris's brood frames for fresh eggs — the perfectly stable acoustic spectrum and on-baseline vibration confirm the worker population is fully present, and a quick look will confirm whether this gradual drift reflects normal seasonal contraction.
  • Hive #2 warning Score: 68/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Hive #2 continues acoustically rock-solid — all 10 sound bands within ±1.0 dB of the all-time baseline (24h avg −16.4 dBFS vs. all-time −16.5 dBFS) and vibration at 18.1 mG (kurtosis 3.0, dominant 80–120 Hz) confirms the adult worker population is fully intact — but the confirmed September 18 thermal step-change (−7.0°F / −3.9°C) has deepened to a 14-day cooling drift of −11.2°F (−6.2°C), with the 24h avg now 83.6°F (28.7°C) sitting 8.0°F (4.4°C) below the all-time avg of 91.6°F (33.1°C). The most parsimonious explanation for falling temperature with a perfectly stable acoustic population is a broodless interval — a natural post-supersedure or seasonal brood-break — and a queen/brood check on your next routine visit will clarify this.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    The most notable feature is a large 24h thermal swing of 79.2–87.9°F (26.2–31.1°C), a peak-to-trough of 8.7°F (4.8°C) — the widest in the apiary and above the healthy ≤5.4°F (3°C) brood-clamping threshold — consistent with reduced or absent brood mass available to buffer the diurnal temperature wave (Meikle et al. 2017). Vibration shows the strongest daily fanning rhythm in the apiary, peaking at ~53.8 mG (~4.0× baseline), with a notable spectral shift: the dominant vibration rhythm band moved from 80–120 Hz to 5–20 Hz in the second half of the window, and the 5–20 Hz rhythm is strengthening (7.0 dB → 9.0 dB) — this low-frequency emergence may reflect structural/stand resonance during vigorous fanning, worth watching passively. Humidity at 51.7% (49.9–53.8%) is healthy and stable within the 50–70% optimal band. Gas heater-scan shows a post-September-19 step-up of ~+8,600 Ω at 320°C (now ~50 kΩ vs. all-time avg ~45 kΩ), with strengthening daily rhythms at the 100°C and 150°C low-temperature steps (+9% → +41% swing) — the rising gas resistance is consistent with reduced brood-pheromone and fanning activity as brood rearing pauses, a benign correlate of the brood-break hypothesis.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.84
    The strong inverse partial correlation between gas resistance and in-hive temperature (r = −0.84, controlling for outdoor weather) is a striking colony-physiology signal: as temperature stepped down on September 18, gas resistance stepped up — physically consistent with reduced brood-pheromone VOC emission (E-β-ocimene output collapses when larvae are absent) and less fanning-driven volatile circulation, both predicted consequences of a brood-break interval with an intact adult population.
    📚 Reference: Maisonnasse et al. 2010, Seeley 1974, Stalidzans et al. 2017
    vibration_rms vs vibration_kurtosis (14d) | r = -0.52
    The inverse vibration–kurtosis coupling (r = −0.52) indicates that higher-amplitude vibration days are smooth and periodic (lower kurtosis), not impulsive — the colony's fanning and foraging activity is producing regular, non-impulsive substrate vibration consistent with a healthy, undisturbed colony, confirming the large daily vibration spikes are ventilation effort, not disturbance events.
    📚 Reference: Ramsey et al. 2020, Nieh & Tautz 2000
    ⚠️ Issue: 14-day cooling drift of −11.2°F (−6.2°C) with confirmed change-point ~September 18: 24h avg now 83.6°F (28.7°C), 8.0°F (4.4°C) below all-time avg of 91.6°F (33.1°C); widened 24h thermal swing of 8.7°F (4.8°C) suggests reduced brood mass buffering — acoustics confirm the adult population is fully intact, consistent with a broodless interval; brood/queen status warrants confirmation on next routine visit.
    ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Hive #2's brood frames for fresh eggs and confirm queen status — the perfectly stable acoustic spectrum and robust daily fanning vibration confirm a full adult population is present, and a brood check will clarify whether this is a natural brood-break interval or the colony has entered a requeening gap.
  • Hive #1 healthy Score: 84/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Hive #1 remains the most thermally stable colony in the apiary — the 24h avg of 81.3°F (27.4°C) is right on its all-time avg of 81.3°F (27.4°C), and all 10 sound bands are within ±0.2 dB of the all-time baseline (24h avg −16.4 dBFS matching all-time −16.4 dBFS exactly), confirming a full and active worker population heading into autumn. Humidity at 46.7% is just below the 50–70% optimal band, reflecting dry September ambient through the screened floor; gas resistance at ~524 kΩ is close to the ~516 kΩ all-time average, and the battery at 4,190 mV is the strongest in the apiary — everything is settled.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    Tight 24h thermal cycle of 79.5–83.9°F (26.4–28.9°C), a peak-to-trough swing of 4.4°F (2.4°C) — comfortably within the healthy ≤5.4°F (3°C) brood-clamping threshold and the mildest swing in the apiary, reflecting Hive #1's well-insulated three-box configuration. Vibration shows a steady daily fanning rhythm peaking at ~23.4 mG (~1.5× baseline) with 80–120 Hz dominant; kurtosis 2.8 is normal. Gas heater-scan across all 10 steps is near its historical baseline with 10/10 bands showing a daily rhythm and the 200°C step weakening slightly (+41% → +24% swing) — a minor reduction in mid-band VOC cycling, consistent with late-season brood contraction rather than any acute change. Sound spectrum is perfectly stable with all 10 bands within ±0.2 dB of baseline; 14-day acoustic trend confirms no population change.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature_in vs humidity_in (14d) | r = +0.83
    The strong deseasonalized temp–humidity coupling (r = +0.83) reflects the same psychrometric mechanism seen across the apiary: temperature and RH co-vary because absolute vapor content is held relatively constant by active hygroregulation, while the temperature-dependent saturation pressure determines what RH% that moisture registers as — a textbook healthy-colony humidity response.
    📚 Reference: Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006, Ellis et al. 2008
    humidity_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = +0.49
    The positive humidity–gas resistance coupling (r = +0.49) in Hive #1 is physically sensible: when fanning increases to manage humidity, it simultaneously ventilates accumulated hive VOCs outward, raising gas resistance (cleaner air at the sensor); this hive-specific coupling is the inverse of the MOX-saturation effect and indicates the screened floor is providing effective ventilation when fanning effort rises.
    📚 Reference: Burgues & Marco 2018, Ellis et al. 2008, Winston 1987
    ▹ 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 this is the most thermally stable colony in the apiary.
  • Hive #3 healthy Score: 73/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Hive #3 is acoustically healthy — all 10 sound bands within ±0.2 dB of the all-time baseline (24h avg −16.3 dBFS vs. −16.3 dBFS all-time) confirming the worker population is fully present and active despite a 14-day cooling drift of −7.9°F (−4.4°C), with the 24h avg now 82.4°F (28.0°C) sitting 5.0°F (2.8°C) below the all-time avg of 87.4°F (30.8°C). Humidity at 56.7% (wide range 42.6–66.9%) is within healthy bounds and slightly higher than its neighbors, consistent with the four-box architecture ventilating more freely; the battery at 4,018 mV is above its all-time low of 3,972 mV — continue to monitor passively as autumn solar charging declines.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    Active 24h thermal cycle of 79.7–85.8°F (26.5–29.9°C), a peak-to-trough swing of 6.1°F (3.4°C) — marginally above the 5.4°F (3°C) brood-clamping reference, consistent with the four-box hive architecture where the sensor in box 2 of 4 is sampling a zone with slightly less brood-mass buffering as brood contracts upward in autumn. Vibration is the liveliest in the apiary with 80–120 Hz dominant at −8.8 dB and daily peaks at ~34.7 mG (~1.8× baseline); the dominant vibration rhythm band shifted from 5–20 Hz to 80–120 Hz in the second half of the window, suggesting the fanning signature has organized more cleanly into the colony activity band — a positive sign. Gas heater-scan at ~87 kΩ (320°C step) is near its ~96 kΩ all-time average; the 100°C step is strengthening its daily rhythm (+9% → +48% swing) and the dominant rhythm band shifted from 150°C to 100°C — the growing low-temperature step oscillation likely reflects diurnal humidity coupling at the most moisture-sensitive heater step, consistent with Hive #3's wider daily RH swing (42–67%) compared to its neighbors.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature_in vs humidity_in (14d) | r = +0.56
    The moderate deseasonalized temp–humidity coupling (r = +0.56) in Hive #3 — lower than its neighbors' r = 0.83–0.89 — is consistent with the four-box hive's greater ventilation volume through the screened floor, which partially decouples the sensor's RH readings from brood-core psychrometrics; the colony is still actively hygroregulating, but the larger air column dilutes the coupling signal.
    📚 Reference: Human, Nicolson & Dietemann 2006, Eouzan et al. 2019
    vibration_spectrum_80_120hz vs temperature_in (14d) | r = +0.56
    Hive #3's vibration rhythm shifting to dominate the 80–120 Hz colony-activity band in the second half of the window, coinciding with the strongest daily fanning peaks in the apiary (~1.8× baseline), aligns with the fanning wingbeat fundamental (~174 Hz) generating structural harmonics in the 80–120 Hz comb-resonance band — a healthy sign of a thermally active colony managing its large four-box volume.
    📚 Reference: Ramsey et al. 2020, Peters, Gravish & Combes 2017
    ⚠️ Issue: 14-day cooling drift of −7.9°F (−4.4°C): 24h avg now 82.4°F (28.0°C), 5.0°F (2.8°C) below all-time avg — acoustics confirm population fully intact; brood/queen status worth confirming on next routine visit.
    ⚠️ Issue: Battery at 4,018 mV is above its all-time low of 3,972 mV but trending low — monitor passively as autumn solar charging continues to decrease.
    ▹ Action: On your next routine visit, check Hive #3's brood frames for fresh eggs — the stable acoustic spectrum and on-baseline vibration confirm a full worker population is present, and a brood check will clarify whether the sustained cooling drift reflects seasonal contraction or a brood-break interval.
    ▹ Action: Monitor Hive #3's battery passively — currently 4,018 mV and above its historical low of 3,972 mV; no action needed yet, but keep an eye on the trend over the coming weeks as autumn days shorten.