AI Beehive Health Report — 2026-10-09

Multi-sensor colony health analysis · 2026-10-09 critical
🐝 Apiary Overview

As of October 9, 2026, your apiary remains in active post-starvation recovery — both Hive #2 and Hive #3 are showing the relapse signature the telemetry warned about, with their mean temperatures sliding back down 4–5 days after the October 5 feeding dose was consumed, and both need bulk feed now. Iris continues its gradual warming recovery and Hive #1 is the most thermally stable of the four, but every hive here is living on what you put in, and telemetry cannot see the stores — only a heft can do that.

🔬 Featured Apiary Correlation

Across all four Apimaye poly hives, the R≈6.93 enclosure wall insulation is measurably compressing the outdoor 22°F (12°C) daily swing to 3–10°F (2–6°C) inside each box — but with open screened floors, whole-hive thermal loss is floor-dominated (Mitchell 2016), which means the retained warm offset each colony is holding above outdoor is genuinely metabolic (the bees heating the space), not just the box holding heat passively.

🌅 Featured Apiary Diurnal Patterns

All four hives continue to show clear daily vibration rhythm peaks (1.5–2.6× their own baselines), confirming active October foraging and thermoregulatory cycles; the outdoor swing of 55–77°F (12.8–25.1°C) with very dry 16–38% humidity is driving the low in-hive RH across the apiary, which is a ventilation-physics effect of the screened floors, not a larval desiccation risk.

📋 Per-Hive Analysis
  • Iris warning Score: 60/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Iris hive is continuing its gradual warming recovery — the 24h mean of 87.1°F (30.6°C) is up +7.4°F (+4.1°C) from its all-time average of 79.7°F (26.5°C), the in-hive low of 84.1°F (28.9°C) sits well above the outdoor high of 77.2°F (25.1°C), and the hourly trend is rising, all consistent with a colony rebuilding heat production after the starvation event. No voice log exists for Iris since the starvation event, so stores remain unconfirmed — on your next visit, heft and assess.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    Iris shows a 6.7°F (3.7°C) daily swing (84.1–90.8°F / 28.9–32.6°C), well within the healthy brood-clamping threshold; humidity is stable at 61–64% average, comfortably inside the 50–70% brood-optimal range. Vibration is steady (avg 0.0172 g, kurtosis 2.8, peak at 54 Hz in the colony-activity band) with the expected daily rhythm (14 of 15 days showing a peak). Sound is 219h into its new post-reset baseline; the 24h average of -26.6 dBFS is ~6–7 dB below the accumulating post-reset baseline across all bands — this is the new starting fingerprint, and the second-half-of-day sound average is notably lower (-35.5 vs -17.7 dBFS first half), reflecting the normal diurnal quiet as the outdoor temperature drops; no anomaly to flag. Gas resistance at 335,848 Ω is ~19% below this hive's all-time average of 415,515 Ω — consistent with syrup processing and brood pheromone activity from recovery-fed bees, not a standalone concern. The heater-scan curve is lower in absolute resistance than the outdoor hub by roughly 5× at all plate temperatures, reflecting the elevated VOC environment of an active recovering colony.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.49
    As Iris warms during its recovery, gas resistance falls (more VOCs detected) — the negative partial correlation (r=-0.49, controlling for outdoor temp) reflects a genuine metabolic coupling: warmer bees produce more brood pheromones (E-β-ocimene, ~14 ng/larva/20 min at peak) and process more syrup, both of which drive down MOX resistance independently of weather. This is a healthy recovery signal, not a stress marker.
    📚 Reference: Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967, Maisonnasse et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(10):e13531
    ⚠️ Issue: Brood temperature averaging 87.1°F (30.6°C) — still below the 93–97°F (34–36°C) ideal brood-incubation band; recovery is progressing but incomplete.
    ⚠️ Issue: No voice log or inspection for Iris since the apiary-wide starvation event — stores status unconfirmed.
    ▹ Action: On your next visit, heft Iris and confirm capped honey stores — unlike the other three hives, Iris has not been directly logged since the starvation event, and weight is the only reliable stores indicator; if light, feed 2:1 sugar syrup toward at least two full deep combs of capped honey.
    ▹ Action: While visiting, confirm a laying queen and presence of capped brood to clarify whether the below-band temperature reflects a requeening gap, a fuel question, or simply a small cluster still rebuilding.
  • Hive #2 critical Score: 42/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Hive #2 is showing the relapse signature: as your October 4–5 notes confirmed, the colony started from completely bare comb and was fed 1 lb HiveAlive sugar plus a pollen patty on October 5 — that dose has been consumed, and the 24h mean has fallen back to 82.9°F (28.3°C), down -8.8°F (-4.9°C) from its post-feed peak of 91.7°F (33.2°C) four days ago. The trajectory is the signal — a populous colony running out of food keeps its swing tight while the mean slides, exactly what the data shows, and this needs bulk feed now rather than another small dose.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    The 24h swing is 80.8–85.4°F (27.1–29.7°C), a 4.6°F (2.6°C) arc — damping is retained, confirming the cluster is intact and the starvation has not yet caused thermoregulatory collapse. Humidity is stable at 53–56% (avg 54.5%), well within the healthy 50–70% range. Vibration is 0.0134 g average (kurtosis 3.5, peak at 47 Hz), with all six bands showing a daily cycle and the dominant rhythm shifting from 160–200 Hz to 80–120 Hz across the window — consistent with ventilation effort tapering as the food supply diminishes. Sound (108h post-reset baseline): 24h average -40.5 dBFS, all bands 3–9 dB above the all-time baseline, which spans the pre-starvation and post-feeding period — the current elevated level relative to the historical average is expected given the older baseline included deep-starvation readings; no actionable acoustic anomaly. Gas resistance at 45,862 Ω is close to this hive's all-time average of 51,049 Ω, consistent with reduced syrup-processing activity as the October 5 dose runs out; the heater-scan shape shows the 375–400°C steps rising slightly above the 350°C step, a typical curve for a lower-VOC environment.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.91
    The exceptionally strong partial correlation between in-hive temperature and gas resistance (r=-0.91, controlling for outdoor temp) in Hive #2 captures the starvation-and-recovery cycle directly: as the colony cooled during starvation, metabolic VOC output fell and gas resistance rose; when fed on October 4–5, the temperature stepped up and gas resistance dropped sharply as syrup processing drove VOC load; now as the mean falls again, gas resistance is drifting back up — the sensor is acting as a real-time metabolic odometer for this colony's fuel state (Blatt & Roces 2001; Stabentheiner et al. 2010).
    📚 Reference: Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967, Blatt & Roces 2001, J. Exp. Biol. 204:2709–2716
    ⚠️ Issue: Temperature relapse after October 5 feeding — 24h mean has fallen -8.8°F (-4.9°C) from its post-feed peak of 91.7°F (33.2°C) to 82.9°F (28.3°C); the October 5 dose has been consumed and the colony needs bulk stores now.
    ⚠️ Issue: Colony started from completely bare comb (confirmed October 4–5 voice logs) — a single 1 lb dose was never sufficient to build a stores reserve.
    ▹ Action: Feed Hive #2 today with bulk 2:1 sugar syrup — feed by weight toward a stores target of at least two full deep combs of capped honey, not by dose; the October 5 feeding has been fully metabolized.
    ▹ Action: While at the apiary feeding Hive #2, heft every hive including Iris — if Hive #2 burned through its dose in four days, the others may be close behind, and weight is the early warning telemetry cannot provide.
  • Hive #1 warning Score: 65/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Hive #1 remains the most thermally stable of the recovering colonies — the 24h mean of 87.9°F (31.1°C) is +5.5°F (+3.1°C) above its all-time average of 82.4°F (28.0°C), the daily swing is a tight 3.4°F (1.9°C), and the in-hive low of 86.1°F (30.0°C) sits well above the outdoor high of 77.2°F (25.1°C), confirming active thermoregulation. As your October 4–5 notes confirmed, stores were completely empty and the immediate temperature step after feeding confirmed energy limitation — watch the 14-day warming trend closely; if the mean plateaus or slides back with the swing still tight, feed promptly.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    The 14-day temperature trend shows a gradual warming drift of +6.9°F (+3.8°C, from 81.0°F to 87.9°F), consistent with sustained post-feeding recovery; the 24h swing of 86.1–89.5°F (30.0–31.9°C) is the tightest of the four hives. Humidity is running low at 40.5–43.0% (avg 41.8%) — below the optimal 50–70% range, but the screened floor plus very dry outdoor air (15–38% RH) is the dominant driver, a ventilation-physics effect, not a larval desiccation risk at current brood temperatures. Vibration is steady at 0.0165 g average (kurtosis 2.8, peak at 52 Hz), with 14 of 15 days showing a distinct daily peak — normal foraging and fanning rhythm. Sound (108h post-reset baseline): 24h average -23.4 dBFS is within ±2.7 dB of the accumulating historical baseline across all bands; the dominant band is 200–260 Hz (-19.6 dB), consistent with normal colony hum; no anomaly to flag. Gas resistance at 456,226 Ω is very close to this hive's all-time average of 460,581 Ω — stable baseline, with the 150°C heater-scan step strengthening its daily rhythm (+14% → +30% swing), suggesting increasing aromatic VOC cycling as brood activity resumes.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature vs gas_resistance (14d) | r = -0.69
    The negative partial correlation between in-hive temperature and gas resistance (r=-0.69, controlling for outdoor temp) in Hive #1 reflects the same metabolic coupling seen across the apiary: as the colony warms in recovery, heater-bee activity and brood pheromone production (E-β-ocimene from expanding larval cohorts) increase reducing-VOC load and drive gas resistance down, while the cooler starvation trough showed the inverse — a clean, hive-specific physiological signal that confirms the sensor is sampling the brood environment correctly.
    📚 Reference: Maisonnasse et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(10):e13531, Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967
    ⚠️ Issue: Brood temperature averaging 87.9°F (31.1°C) — still below the 93–97°F (34–36°C) ideal range; recovery is progressing but stores adequacy cannot be confirmed from telemetry alone.
    ⚠️ Issue: Humidity averaging 41.8% — below the 50–70% optimal range; driven by screened floor and very dry outdoor air, worth monitoring if it remains consistently below 45%.
    ▹ Action: Continue feeding Hive #1 toward a full autumn stores target — aim for at least two full deep combs of capped honey; the pollen patty stimulates brood rearing (the most energy-expensive colony activity), so keep bulk 2:1 syrup supply ahead of that demand.
    ▹ Action: On your next visit, heft Hive #1 to confirm stores are building — the 14-day warming trend is encouraging, but a steady temperature does not confirm adequate stores, and weight is the only reliable indicator.
  • Hive #3 critical Score: 43/100
    📋 Overall Health

    Your Hive #3 is showing the same relapse signature as Hive #2: as you noted in your October 4–5 logs, the colony started from completely bare comb and was fed 1 lb HiveAlive sugar plus a pollen patty on October 5 — that dose has been consumed, and the 24h mean has fallen back to 86.6°F (30.4°C), down -7.7°F (-4.3°C) from its post-feed peak of 94.3°F (34.6°C) four days ago, exactly the trajectory the telemetry warned about last report. The October 5 dose is gone and Hive #3 needs bulk stores now, not another small feed.

    🌅 Diurnal Cycle Patterns

    The 24h swing of 83.4–92.0°F (28.5–33.3°C) — a 8.6°F (4.8°C) arc — is wider than Hive #1 and Hive #2, but the in-hive low of 83.4°F (28.5°C) remains well above the outdoor high of 77.2°F (25.1°C), confirming the cluster is still producing heat. Humidity is 49.5–54.6% (avg 52.0%), within the healthy 50–70% range. Vibration is 0.0210 g average (kurtosis 2.7, peak at 67 Hz), with 14 of 15 days showing a daily rhythm — normal thermoregulatory cycling; the dominant vibration rhythm shifted from 120–160 Hz to 20–50 Hz across the window, worth watching as a possible shift in colony activity pattern. Sound (109h post-reset baseline): 24h average of -19.3 dBFS with the dominant band at 200–260 Hz (-15.0 dB), all bands within ±3.1 dB of the accumulating baseline — no acoustic anomaly; second-half-of-day sound is rising (+1.9 dBFS), consistent with the late-day temperature peak. Gas resistance at 98,009 Ω is slightly below this hive's all-time average of 106,635 Ω and continues to track the temperature-VOC coupling (r=-0.83, partial, controlling for outdoor temp); the heater-scan low-temperature steps (100–200°C) are trending down ~20–22%, consistent with declining syrup-processing activity as the October 5 dose runs out.

    🔬 Correlations & Discoveries
    temperature vs gas_resistance vs humidity (14d) | r = -0.83
    The strong partial correlation between gas resistance and in-hive temperature (r=-0.83, controlling for outdoor temp) in Hive #3, combined with the independent humidity–gas resistance coupling (r=-0.55, deseasonalized), reflects two reinforcing metabolic signals: rising temperature drives more heater-bee respiration and syrup processing (reducing VOCs, lowering resistance), while higher humidity — itself correlated with warmer colony metabolism and evaporating syrup — adds a moisture-driven MOX suppression on top; together they make Hive #3's gas channel a sensitive real-time fuel gauge, and the current low-temperature-scan steps drifting down tracks the dose running out (Blatt & Roces 2001; Burgues & Marco 2018).
    📚 Reference: Stabentheiner et al. 2010, PLoS ONE 5(1):e8967, Burgues & Marco 2018, Sensors 18(2):339, Blatt & Roces 2001, J. Exp. Biol. 204:2709–2716
    ⚠️ Issue: Temperature relapse after October 5 feeding — 24h mean has fallen -7.7°F (-4.3°C) from its post-feed peak of 94.3°F (34.6°C) to 86.6°F (30.4°C); the October 5 dose has been consumed and the colony needs bulk stores now.
    ⚠️ Issue: Colony started from completely bare comb (confirmed October 4–5 voice logs) — a single 1 lb dose was never sufficient to build a stores reserve.
    ▹ Action: Feed Hive #3 today with bulk 2:1 sugar syrup — feed by weight toward a stores target of at least two full deep combs of capped honey, not by dose; the October 5 feeding is fully consumed.
    ▹ Action: Heft every hive in the apiary on this visit — if both Hive #2 and Hive #3 burned through their doses in four days, all four colonies started from bare comb and may be in the same position; weight is the only early warning telemetry cannot provide.