Well here is our first post of many. I could go on about so many things we have going on here, but I can't quite yet. What I can tell you is what our mission is and why we decided to do this. In the future we will have a bunch of our studies and all kinds of data to pour over.
What is our Mission?
We are on a mission to help the bees! Bees and pollinators are responsible for 1/3 of every bite on your plate according to the USDA* & honey bees are dying from colony collapse disorder by up to 40% each winter. There are several reasons for these kind of colony losses, likely led by Varroa Destructor, a parasitic mite that infests the honey bees (Apis cerana and Apis mellifera) the hive and attaches to bees as well as the brood in their nest. These mites transmit several diseases and can only reproduce in a honey bee colony.
According to the Bee Lab at the University of MN**, colony:
"In our area, if beekeepers do not manage their colonies to reduce mite levels, there is a 90-95% chance the colony will die within 2 years from effects of the mites and the bee viruses they vector."
There are others stressors affecting the bees chances of survival, like monocultures, widespread pesticide use, as well as the reduction in habitat for the bees.
We recognized the challenges the honey bees are up against, and the way the industry is tackling it seems to be somewhat working but not sustainable. There have been some good traction in raising more hygienic bees to keep Varroa Destructor at lower levels in colonies. Chemical treatments have shown to provide limited efficacy, as mites have developed resistance to several chemicals. Chemicals also make there way into honey after the treatment due to cross contamination. This is why "Chemical Free" Raw honey can sell for $15/lb.
HyperHyve™ has taken what the bees are evolved for and given it a modern twist with integrated monitoring, and our mission is to rid bees of Varroa without synthetic chemicals, increase honey yields by 10-30%, and retain wintered bees at levels much higher than the 60% the industry saw in 2019†.
"U.S. beekeepers lost nearly 40% of their honeybee colonies last winter — the greatest reported winter hive loss since the partnership started its surveys 13 years ago. The total annual loss was slightly above average."
Our patent pending hive simply uses todays electronics, integrated directly into the hive to assist the bees in what evolution has already given them to survive. We simply give them what they need and can handle to increase survival to 90% or higher. Oh, and you can check on your hive and control it remotely..... More on that in another post, so sign up to keep up on our announcements (shameless plug, I know).
What's next?
We are putting out as much information as we can and in the future we will continue to bread crumb information and announcements. To stay up to date on release dates, product availability, programs, etc. sign up for our email list.