Digital Technologies to Strengthen Honey Bee Immunity
Researchers at Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University have developed a platform to improve honey bee colony health, combining biotechnology with a digital monitoring system.
Russian beekeepers are continuing to integrate information technology into their operations. These tools are helping address an important challenge: keeping these tiny honey producers healthy. In recent years, the average lifespan of bees has been declining because of exposure to pesticides, parasites, viruses and other factors. The consequences go beyond lower honey production: pollination suffers, too, reducing crop yields.
Strong, healthy colonies, high-quality nutrition, stable temperatures and freedom from parasites all help extend the lives of honey bees. Digital technologies can help beekeepers maintain these conditions.
Helping Honey Bees Live Longer
Researchers at Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University (NovSU) have proposed a new approach to supporting bee health. The team includes Yakov Manurikov, a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Production and Processing; Tatyana Kondratyeva, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Production and Processing Technology; and Ulyana Medvedeva, director of the Institute of Chemical Technology. Their approach combines biotechnology to strengthen colony health with digital monitoring of apiaries.
As part of the approach, bees will receive supplemental feed containing immunostimulant additives based on water-soluble beta-glucans. The additives were shown to be effective in an experiment involving Carpathian honey bee colonies at the Manurikov Family Subsidiary Farm apiary. Bees given the innovative supplement lived 1.5 times longer than those in the control group. They also became more active: for example, they built honeycomb several times faster.
“We observed not just a quantitative improvement, but a qualitative leap as well. The bees showed heightened activity, flew out of the hive much more rapidly and produced stronger sound vibrations. This is direct evidence of improved physiological condition and stronger immunity across the entire colony,” said Yakov Manurikov, a senior lecturer in NovSU’s Department of Agricultural Production and Processing.
Digital Monitoring of Bee Colony Health
To monitor conditions inside the hives, researchers installed AI-enabled sensors that continuously track temperature and colony activity. Digital technologies made it possible to assess how effectively the biotechnology was working. The data confirmed that colonies receiving the beta-glucan supplement maintained a more stable temperature close to the optimal level of 34.5 ± 0.3°C.
The NovSU researchers are building on their smart hive technology, which they patented late last year. The project is supported by a grant from Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the Decade of Science and Technology initiative.
“A multifunctional sensor is mounted inside the hive. It reads temperature, humidity and the weight of the hive. The sensor measures these parameters to help maintain an optimal microclimate, and the collected data are transmitted to a base station,” said Tatyana Kondratyeva, an associate professor in NovSU’s Department of Agricultural Production and Processing Technology.
Beekeepers can monitor hive conditions online and automate some aspects of bee care. One particularly important application is providing supplemental feed during the winter. An automatic syrup feeder is installed at the bottom of the hive. If the hive's weight falls below a preset threshold, the feeder switches on automatically and supplies the bees with additional food.
Honey Exports and Smart Apiaries
Smart apiaries help beekeepers plan supplemental feeding more effectively and use biotechnology to reduce colony losses. Digital beekeeping technologies are being actively developed and adopted in Russia.
The Babichev family, a beekeeping dynasty from Stavropol, has begun using artificial intelligence to analyze bee colony activity. Telecommunications provider Rostelecom has offered beekeepers its Digital Hive and Digital Hive 2.0 systems. The platforms include a hardware and software complex and a single-board microcomputer called the Apiary Control Center, designed to collect and transmit data. Chechen State University named after A. A. Kadyrov has also announced the development of an automated system for monitoring bee colonies.
In the future, connecting smart hives into a single network will make it possible to send data to the cloud, where AI algorithms can analyze activity across thousands of hives at once. Beekeepers will gain a better understanding of bee behavior, assess colony health more accurately and identify the causes of potential population declines. Integrating smart systems into the Unified Digital Platform for the Agro-Industrial and Fisheries Complexes could also help forecast broader industry trends.
These developments could boost honey production. Honey has become an increasingly sought-after export product: in 2024, Russia shipped more than 5,000 tons to over 50 countries. According to data from Russian Agricultural Bank, exports totaled 2,800 tons in 2025. Further development of digital technologies could make the beekeeping business more stable and resilient.
Digital apiary monitoring platforms also have export potential. Once adapted to different climatic conditions and bee breeds, smart hive systems could find markets in CIS countries and across the Global South, where governments and businesses are interested in developing their domestic beekeeping industries.
