As of October 6, 2026, your apiary is in recovery mode after the starvation crisis you identified and addressed this weekend — all three inspected hives (Hive #1, #2, and #3) had cleaned out their stores, and your prompt feeding has already driven measurable warming across the board. Your Iris hive remains the one to watch, holding a steady warm offset well above the 59°F (15°C) outdoor temperature but still below brood-rearing range; confirming stores and a laying queen on your next visit remains the key outstanding task.
Across all three fed hives, the immediate temperature step-up after sugar-water feeding (Hive #3 rising +9.5°F/+5.3°C over the 14-day window anchored by the Oct 3 change-point) is a textbook demonstration that honey-bee endothermy is fuel-on-demand — heater bees refuelled via trophallaxis from honey stores can restore brood-nest temperature within hours, exactly as Stabentheiner et al. (2010) describe, with no lag for colony reorganization.
Outdoor conditions are mild and settled (53–75°F / 12–24°C, humidity 37–56%, barometer steady at +0.21 hPa/3h), providing a calm foraging window; all four hives show consistent 1.5–3× daily vibration peaks marking normal October foraging and fanning rhythms, and the Apimaye poly enclosures continue to compress the outdoor swing to a fraction inside each box.
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Iris warning Score: 65/100📋 Overall Health
Your Iris hive is acoustically the most active colony in the apiary — sound is running +3.8 to +8.6 dB above its own all-time baseline across every band, with the 420–500 Hz and 500–600 Hz bands most elevated and trending further upward in the second half of the day, while the 100–150 Hz and 150–200 Hz bands are easing off — a broadband, higher-frequency shift worth watching but not yet alarming given the 147-hour sound baseline is still maturing. The thermal picture is the persistent concern: the 24h average is 81.1°F (27.3°C), the 14-day weekly trend has cooled from 84.0°F (28.9°C) to 76.1°F (24.5°C), and while the colony holds a solid warm offset (+22°F / +12°C above the outdoor low of 59°F / 15°C) confirming active heat production, it has not climbed back toward the 93–97°F (34–36°C) brood band — on your next visit, confirm stores are adequate, check for capped brood, and note whether a queen is laying.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsThe 24h swing of 78.4–85.0°F (25.8–29.5°C), a peak-to-trough span of 6.6°F (3.7°C), is modest and the warm offset above outdoor is intact — damping is retained, which argues against a starvation collapse, but the mean of 81.1°F (27.3°C) remains well below brood-rearing territory and has been gradually cooling over four weekly averages. Humidity holds a tight 61–65% range (avg 63.4%), well within the healthy 50–70% band, with a mild inverse coupling to temperature (r=−0.35 deseasonalized) consistent with normal psychrometric variation. Vibration kurtosis is a healthy 2.9 with the dominant band at 80–120 Hz and a consistent daily 1.5× peak rhythm across 14 of 15 days; gas resistance at 392,713 Ω sits slightly below the all-time average of 424,138 Ω — the heater-scan shape shows the low-temperature steps (100–200°C) carrying higher VOC load than the high-temperature steps, with a noted daily rhythm shift from the 150°C dominant band toward 100°C, consistent with heavier or more humidity-sensitive volatiles — likely HiveAlive syrup processing, brood pheromones, or propolis activity given the active sound profile.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriessound_energy vs temperature_in (14d) | r = +0.49The deseasonalized partial correlation between sound energy and in-hive temperature (r=+0.49, controlling for outdoor) reflects that when this colony's metabolic activity rises — more heater bees, more fanning — both thermal output and acoustic output rise together; the current combination of elevated broadband sound but a cooler-than-brood-band temperature suggests the colony is acoustically active (workers present and working) without the full brood footprint that would lock the temperature into the 93–97°F (34–36°C) clamp, consistent with a reduced-brood or broodless interval.📚 Reference: Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967, Seeley 1985, Honeybee Ecology⚠️ Issue: Brood temperature averaging 81.1°F (27.3°C) with a sustained 14-day cooling trend (weekly averages: 84.0→82.9→77.9→76.1°F / 28.9→28.3→25.5→24.5°C) — warm offset above outdoor confirmed, damping retained, but below the 93–97°F (34–36°C) brood-incubation band for several weeks; stores status unconfirmed.⚠️ Issue: No voice log or inspection note for Iris in the last 7 days — unlike Hive #1, #2, and #3, this hive was not inspected this weekend and stores status is unknown.▹ Action: On your next routine visit to Iris, heft the hive and check for capped honey stores — the thermal pattern is consistent with a broodless or reduced-brood interval, but stores should be confirmed given the apiary-wide starvation event this month.▹ Action: Check for capped brood, eggs, and a laying queen; the strong broadband acoustic signature suggests an active population, and a brood-and-stores check will clarify whether this is a natural requeening gap or something that needs feeding. -
Hive #2 healthy Score: 74/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #2 is responding well to the intervention you described in your notes — you confirmed it had cleaned out all its honey stores down to one deep of bees, fed sugar water, and saw an immediate temperature step-up, and then followed up with 1 lb HiveAlive sugar and a 1 lb pollen patty; today's 24h average of 89.1°F (31.7°C) is +5.9°F (+3.3°C) above the all-time average of 83.2°F (28.5°C), with the 14-day trend now warming from 76.8°F (24.9°C) to 82.0°F (27.8°C) and the current 24h average climbing toward the 93–97°F (34–36°C) brood band. The colony is on the right trajectory — keep feeding toward a solid stores target heading into late autumn. The sound baseline was reset on October 4 after the sensor was out of the hive for ~17 hours; at only 36 hours of new-format data, the acoustic profile is a fresh starting point only and no trend comparisons are valid yet.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsThe 24h swing of 86.1–91.6°F (30.1–33.1°C), peak-to-trough 5.5°F (3.1°C), shows good thermal clamping with damping clearly retained — the Apimaye poly enclosure is doing its job. Humidity averages 60.5% (range 57.9–63.0%), comfortably within the healthy 50–70% band. Vibration kurtosis is a normal 3.7, dominant band 80–120 Hz (113 Hz peak), with 13 of 15 days showing a clear daily activity peak (avg 2.9× baseline) — the most energetic daily vibration rhythm in the apiary, consistent with a colony actively processing syrup. Gas resistance at 38,323 Ω is slightly above the all-time average of 51,372 Ω — wait, at 38k vs 51k average it is actually 25% below the historical mean, which aligns well with the HiveAlive syrup and pollen patty processing: the heater-scan shape shows very low resistance across all 10 steps (100–400°C) with a U-shaped curve that bottoms around 320°C and rises slightly at 375–400°C, a signature consistent with a high reducing-VOC load from sugar processing and brood pheromones — all expected and benign given the keeper's confirmed feeding. Battery at 4,020 mV is stable and above the all-time low of 3,978 mV.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.74The strong deseasonalized inverse correlation between in-hive temperature and gas resistance (r=−0.74, p=1.7e-18) reflects that as this colony warms up on feeding — more heater bees active, more brood pheromones (E-β-ocimene from expanding larvae), more fanning circulating hive volatiles — the MOX plate sees a higher reducing-VOC load and resistance falls; this is a healthy metabolic-activity coupling, not a stress signal, and the partial correlation controlling for outdoor weather (r=−0.94) confirms it is colony-intrinsic rather than weather-driven.📚 Reference: Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967, Maisonnasse et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(10):e13531, Blatt & Roces 2001, J. Exp. Biol. 204:2709–2716▹ Action: Continue feeding Hive #2 toward a solid autumn stores target (aim for at least two full deep combs of capped honey before cold nights become sustained) — the current warming trend is encouraging but the colony started from empty combs and needs bulk carbohydrates, not just a dose.▹ Action: Watch the temperature trend over the next 5–7 days: if the 24h average continues climbing toward 93–97°F (34–36°C), brood rearing is resuming on schedule; if it plateaus or slips back, feed again promptly — a relapse after a recovery means the dose is gone. -
Hive #1 healthy Score: 76/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #1 mirrors the story you described in your notes — you confirmed it had cleaned out all its stores down to one deep of bees, fed sugar water, and saw an immediate temperature step-up, then followed up with 1 lb HiveAlive sugar and a 1 lb pollen patty; today's 24h average of 88.2°F (31.2°C) is +6.4°F (+3.6°C) above the all-time average of 81.8°F (27.6°C), and the 14-day trend is warming from 79.3°F (26.3°C) to 84.9°F (29.4°C) — a positive recovery arc heading toward the brood band. The sound baseline was reset on October 4 after the sensor was out for ~17 hours; with only 36 hours of new-format data, the acoustic profile is a fresh starting point and no trend comparisons are valid yet.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsThe 24h swing of 86.3–90.3°F (30.2–32.4°C), peak-to-trough 4.0°F (2.2°C), is well-clamped — tighter than Hive #3 — with damping retained and a clear warm offset above the 59°F (15°C) outdoor temperature. Humidity averages 50.4% (range 48.1–52.7%), at the lower edge of the healthy 50–70% band but consistent with the dry outdoor ambient (49.8%) ventilating through the screened floor — the partial humidity–temperature coupling (r=+0.51, deseasonalized) simply reflects the psychrometric inverse in a warming hive. Vibration kurtosis is a normal 2.8, dominant band 80–120 Hz (133 Hz peak), with 14 of 15 days showing a clear daily activity rhythm (avg 1.5× baseline); gas resistance at 356,174 Ω is 25% below the all-time average of 471,832 Ω — the heater-scan shape is similar to Iris (declining monotonically from 100°C to 400°C), and the noted dominant gas rhythm shift from 100°C to 250°C between first and second half of the window suggests a subtle change in the VOC mix, most plausibly the syrup and pollen patty replacing the depleted honey-store VOC background. Battery at 4,152 mV is the healthiest in the apiary and stable.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.42The deseasonalized inverse coupling between in-hive temperature and gas resistance (r=−0.42, partial r=−0.83 controlling for outdoor) reflects colony metabolic activity driving both warmth and VOC output simultaneously — as the colony warms on feeding, brood pheromones, fanning, and syrup processing raise the reducing-VOC load and resistance drops; the strong partial correlation confirms this is hive-intrinsic physiology, not outdoor weather driving both channels.📚 Reference: Maisonnasse et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(10):e13531, Seeley 1985, Honeybee Ecology, Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967▹ Action: Continue feeding Hive #1 toward a full autumn stores target — the colony started from empty combs and needs sustained bulk feeding, not just maintenance doses; watch the temperature trajectory over the coming week as the clearest indicator of whether brood rearing is resuming.▹ Action: Given the pollen patty added alongside light sugar stores, monitor that carbohydrate supply keeps pace with brood stimulation — protein without adequate sugar deepens the energy deficit. -
Hive #3 healthy Score: 78/100📋 Overall Health
Your Hive #3 is the thermal leader of the apiary following the feeding intervention you logged — you confirmed it had cleaned out all its stores, fed sugar water, saw an immediate step-up, then added 1 lb HiveAlive sugar and a 1 lb pollen patty; the telemetry-confirmed change-point of +9.3°F around October 3 aligns precisely with that feeding, and today's 24h average of 91.9°F (33.3°C) is the closest of any hive to the ideal 93–97°F (34–36°C) brood band, up +11.3°F (+6.3°C) from the all-time average of 80.6°F (27.0°C). The sound baseline was reset on October 4 after the sensor was out for ~17 hours; at 37 hours of new-format data it is a fresh starting point only — note the wide 24h sound range (−21.7 to −1.2 dBFS) and a strong peak at −1.2 dBFS which is worth watching as the baseline matures.
🌅 Diurnal Cycle PatternsThe 24h swing of 89.4–95.5°F (31.9–35.3°C), peak-to-trough 6.1°F (3.4°C), is the widest in the apiary and reflects the sensor position in box 2 of 2 (upper deep) sampling a zone that tracks the brood heat peak more directly — with a daily high touching 95.5°F (35.3°C), squarely in the brood band, the colony is actively incubating; this is a healthy amplitude for a colony ramping brood rearing after a feeding step. Humidity averages 56.0% (range 53.5–60.2%), comfortably healthy; the deseasonalized coupling between humidity and gas resistance (r=−0.56) is consistent with syrup evaporation and brood moisture raising both in-hive RH and the reducing-VOC load together. Vibration is the most energetic in the apiary — RMS avg 0.021 g, daily peaks reaching 0.038 g (1.8× baseline), dominant band 80–120 Hz, kurtosis 2.9 — all normal and reflecting active colony metabolism. Gas resistance at 88,398 Ω sits 18% below the all-time average of 108,019 Ω, with the heater-scan curve notably lower across all steps and with a strengthening daily rhythm at 100–200°C that has nearly doubled in amplitude between the first and second half of the window — consistent with increasing syrup and brood-pheromone VOC load as brood rearing ramps up after feeding, all benign. Battery at 3,996 mV has stabilized compared to the −122 mV single-day drain flagged yesterday; it remains above the all-time low of 3,936 mV and is no longer trending downward.
🔬 Correlations & Discoveriestemperature_in vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.66The deseasonalized inverse correlation between in-hive temperature and gas resistance (r=−0.66, partial r=−0.82 controlling for outdoor) in Hive #3 is the strongest single-hive expression of the feeding-driven metabolic restart across this apiary: the temperature change-point of +9.3°F around October 3 coincides with the keeper-confirmed sugar-water feed, and the simultaneous drop in gas resistance reflects brood pheromone (E-β-ocimene) release, syrup processing volatiles, and fanning activity — all rising together as the colony transitions from near-starvation to active brood rearing, exactly as Stabentheiner et al.'s heater-bee trophallaxis model predicts.📚 Reference: Maisonnasse et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(10):e13531, Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967, Stalidzans et al. 2017▹ Action: Continue feeding Hive #3 toward a full stores target — it started from empty combs and the current warmth is fuel-driven; sustain bulk 2:1 sugar feeding until the combs are well-stocked for winter.▹ Action: Keep an eye on the battery over the next few days — it has stabilized at 3,996 mV after yesterday's concern, but remains the lowest in the apiary; if it resumes draining below ~3,960 mV, check the solar connection on your next visit.