# Mobile App - Varroa detection



## Bartek_ziBees (Mar 28, 2018)

Hi,
I want to introduce you to ziBees. A free application for a phone that uses artificial intelligence to improve the process of managing an apiary.

We analyse the pictures of the bee frame and detect the number of bees in the picture and the number of bees that have varroasis. In the future, we want to detect other important for beekeepers elements.

We want to know your opinion about the application. Your involvement can contribute to the introduction of new functionalities in the future.
In April we are starting with closed beta tests. We want to test the application and collect photos of bee frames, to constantly improve the algorithm.

You can sign up for beta tests through our website www.zibees.co or directly via the link: http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/zibees/


----------



## baybee (Jan 10, 2016)

Could you please post a few sample images of bees labeled by your app as having "varroasis"?


----------



## Bartek_ziBees (Mar 28, 2018)

Hi, I encourage You to test the app during our beta test so You will check, how detection of bees with varroa mites looks like. Please remember that efficiency of detection will improve in time.


----------



## sjj (Jan 2, 2007)

Really great!


----------



## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

Björn Lagerman is up to something similar?

http://fribi.se/


----------



## baybee (Jan 10, 2016)

I guess there are quite a few free varroa-detecting phone applications these days. The question is who would benefit from them? Only first-year beginners? Or those who need an excuse to carry smartphones around beehives too?

I have looked into one such app but was warned right away with something like this: Your device isn't compatible with this app. Nothing on why it wasn't compatible. Could it be not enough megapixels on the camera? Too thick to fit between the frames? Or no mobile phone internet service to upload the images?

Would a beekeeper experienced enough to take a hive apart and pull out frames need help in deciding if the bees have mites?


----------



## Hunajavelho (Oct 11, 2015)

Juhani Lunden said:


> Björn Lagerman is up to something similar?
> 
> http://fribi.se/


Here is a direct link to the app in english, for those interested;
https://beescanning.com/eng/


Good for hobby beekekeepers who wants different methods for measuring varroa.
Ofcourse you need calm bees that dont sting . (Björn uses Buckfast)


----------



## MartinSzy (Mar 17, 2018)

There is a App for everything. As I age my sight worsens. 
An App that would take pictures of my Bottom Boards with crud mixed with Mites would be Great.
Punch in the approx. Hive count then on a given week of treatment like 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week, 4th week would be last validation. 
To track the progress of elimination and percentage left in the Hive.
Randy Oliver would love the Statistics. I think.


----------



## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

Not bad, not bad!
If this could be a replacement of sugar rolls or alcohol wash I would do it.
Thanks for posting Bartek and Hunajavelho


----------



## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

Erik Österlund just told me he is a friend of Björn and he himself is a member of the team working on it.
They hope it´s a substitute to alcohol wash.



> Maybe and hopefully
> I’m in the team working with it. Björn is my friend. But he is the guy with the idea and ”obsessed” with it.
> 
> /E


That´s serious work on improvement in beekeeping :thumbsup:


----------



## Bartek_ziBees (Mar 28, 2018)

Thanks guys for Your comments. 



> I have looked into one such app but was warned right away with something like this: Your device isn't compatible with this app. Nothing on why it wasn't compatible. Could it be not enough megapixels on the camera? Too thick to fit between the frames? Or no mobile phone internet service to upload the images?


We will do an analysis of Your picture before sending it to the servers. So You will be informed if Your picture is too dark, too bright, blurry, etc. We will also inform You (via our help center) what are minimal technical requirements for using the app. 

What are other important elements You would like to detect and analyse on the picture? What would be useful for You?


----------



## clong (Apr 6, 2015)

Bartek,

If we put a metric ruler on the comb, could you calculate cell size, or bee size?

Thanks.


----------



## Bjorn Lagerman (Dec 26, 2016)

clong said:


> Bartek,
> 
> If we put a metric ruler on the comb, could you calculate cell size, or bee size?
> 
> Thanks.


The BeeScanning App is available at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beescanning new features coming this week. You can vote for metrics on requested features here https://beescanning.com/requested-features/
best/Björn


----------



## Bjorn Lagerman (Dec 26, 2016)

baybee said:


> Could you please post a few sample images of bees labeled by your app as having "varroasis"?


Here some samples from the BeeScanning app


----------



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

It would be a poor substitute for an alcohol wash. Most mites are on the left ventral (underside) of the abdomen hidden halfway under the integumentals. Varroa do not consume hemolymph as incorrectly reported. They consume fat bodies and dorsal is where the food is.


----------



## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> It would be a poor substitute for an alcohol wash. Most mites are on the left ventral (underside) of the abdomen hidden halfway under the integumentals. Varroa do not consume hemolymph as incorrectly reported. They consume fat bodies and dorsal is where the food is.


This may be but most beekeepers are ignorant about which time to start varroa management.
This differs much from hive to hive.

If you see more than 5 mites on bees in an established hive ( or less in susceptible stock colonies) it´s high time to do a wash to confirm, or you can start immediate action if you want to.
Often you believe they are healthy and suddenly there are crawlers.

The first step could be the app so you don´t need a treatment or an unwelcome task like alcohol wash just to evaluate the situation.
This would prevent too much stress on the bees and most important, may stop the prophylactic treatments or the treatments per schedule which lead to an amplification of the mite ( virus) problem.


----------



## Bjorn Lagerman (Dec 26, 2016)

Its true most mites are hidden. But once you know the relation between hidden and visible you know the infestation anyhow. Thats why we have investigated that thoroughly. Please find out how at https://beescanning.com/eng/ 


AmericasBeekeeper said:


> It would be a poor substitute for an alcohol wash. Most mites are on the left ventral (underside) of the abdomen hidden halfway under the integumentals. Varroa do not consume hemolymph as incorrectly reported. They consume fat bodies and dorsal is where the food is.


----------



## Bjorn Lagerman (Dec 26, 2016)

Very important point to avoid prophylactic treatments since it may lead to resitant mites. Also BeeScanning is about collecting data in order to find bees that can withstand the mite without any treatment.


----------



## sjj (Jan 2, 2007)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> .... Most mites are on the left ventral (underside) of the abdomen .... .


See this optical disc packaging made of polystyrene: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jewel_Case_02.jpg 

Two opposing halves are transparent and hinged together. 
The media tray inlay must be removed. 

Shake the bees into open case. Close it. 
You can see the bees inside from both sides.


----------



## Bjorn Lagerman (Dec 26, 2016)

sjj said:


> See this optical disc packaging made of polystyrene:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jewel_Case_02.jpg
> 
> Two opposing halves are transparent and hinged together.
> ...


We have examined bees in this way. And yes when on the underside we often find it on the left side, not always as you can see. There are lots of issues following this technique, so we are developing into other exiting ways to monitor the bees with less disturbance.













©beescanning 2018


----------

