BumbleBEEP : A Sensor System for Bumblebee Colony Monitoring

Bumblebees (Apidae: Bombus ) are important pollinators, yet population declines of bumblebees have been recorded in many parts of the world. Colony‐level responses to environmental stressors are key to understanding bumblebee declines. Monitoring bumblebee colonies in the field is labour intensive. We present an automated bumblebee colony monitoring system adapted from an existing honeybee colony sensor system that records temperature, weight, and audio data. We demonstrate three different colony metrics from the sensor data: colony growth and activity, thermoregulatory ability, and lagged responses to temperature. The BumbleBEEP can be applied in the field and provide insights into colony responses to external stressors such as climate. It could also be applied in lab settings for ecotoxicological testing.