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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Roisin Butler

Smart beehives launched as part of new Dublin 8 project

Dublin 8 is abuzz thanks to an exciting new initiative that will see technology assisted beehives introduced to the suburb.

The B8 pilot programme will equip 20 sensors for the beehives in the local area. The sensors will allow residents to monitor temperature, bee activity levels, sound, and humidity within the hives.

The eventual aim is for the sensors to capture air quality and CO2 emissions in the area and ultimately help improve the local environment. The project is ran in conjunction with the Digital Hub and will allow residents and the assigned hive managers to work together to benefit Dublin 8.

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CEO of the Digital Hub Fionn Mac Conghail stated: “The Digital Hub are proud to be supporting Bee8, which will bring communities together to not only learn about the relationship between people, nature and wellbeing, but also to develop research and knowledge through participation in the project.

Community members wishing to help operate the hives will receive training through a free beekeeping course. Additionally, the data collected from the sensors will be cultivated into an eco-guide for young children living in the area.

The initiative is also planning on creating an app that will allow residents to view livestreams of bee activity. The app will also act as a calendar to update participants on important times of the beekeeping year, such as pollinating season.

Honey bees are often linked to environmental conditions. The behaviour of bees indicates the performance of local environment- for instance, their presence leads to a greater variety of plant life in an area.

The project’s findings could potentially be applied on an international scale depending on its development going forward. The development of sensors is already supported by CALIN, a Welsh-Irish partner organisation that encourages collaborations on scientific matters.

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