Missing/wanted functionalities in a beekeeping app

[Drakthan]

Hello fellow beekeepers!

My father and I started beekeeping two years ago - at the same time when I started studying web development and I decided to make a web app so that we can access our records from anywhere and any device. Since I started, the app grew quite a bit and I am considering making it available for anyone to use it.

In order to do so, I would love some input from beekeepers around the globe what functionalities they like in beekeeping apps they have used and/or what functionalities they wish the apps had they they don't.

Currently, these are the features I have in mind/have implemented

• Adding/deleting hives and editing their info (somewhere down the line, it will be possible to add a photo of the hive as well)
• Adding control info to a hive - there is also a To Do list for each hive with a page that shows To Dos for all the hives so that beekeepers can quickly see what they need to prepare for the following controls
• Showing graphs for some of the data from controls (e.g. on how the colony grows over time)
• Showing automatic warnings for hives (e.g. when the queen hasn't been seen for 2 weeks in a row and there are no fresh eggs)

Some input I would like to get is:

• What info would you like to be able to have for each hive? (right now, there is - overal state, hive description, total number of frames, hive color [I'm not sure how many beekeepers have hives identifiable by color, but we do and my father wanted to have it there for his convenience ], breed of the queen, number of the queen, color of the queen [would having year of the queen instead and taking color from that make more sense?], date when the hive was added, number of honey supers it has and amount of hive it produces [on scale from 1 to 5])
• What info do you track when you do controls? (right now, there is date of the control, number of frames in hive, number of full frames [how many frames are full of bees], number of frames with sealed brood, whether the queen was spotted, whether there have been fresh eggs, whether there has been unsealed brood, what weather and temperature there was, how aggressive the bees were, what work has been done and to dos for next time)
• When should a warning be shown?
• Any other things you have in mind that would make your beekeeping easier thanks to an app?
• Also, English is not my mother tongue so if some terms are not correct (even if I tried to consult the beekeeping glossary here on forum as much as I could), please, please, send me a DM so that I can correct it.

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[user 819]

No use to me, I keep things simple with pen and paper.

 

[IndiBee]

I have yet to find an app that keeps track of my gear. I have a DSLR app that does this. You enter your kit when you bought it and where you use it.
Bee kit (not just 'hive' but, floor, roof, frames or each size, draw, foundation, starter etc.) is all over the place - I end up building again when it isn't where I think it is, is being used or close to replacement. Most kit needs a retirement/renovation date. This would be very useful when choosing what bit of kit to use. Location is vital, specially bait hives.
A major mistake app developers make is forgetting how many men are colour blind - I have to remove apps just because they forget this. A fark mode (black background/white text) is vital for many many people.
good luck

 

[Drakthan]

No use to me, I keep things simple with pen and paper.

Can you imagine a functionality that would make you reconsider your choice?

 

[Drakthan]

I have yet to find an app that keeps track of my gear. I have a DSLR app that does this. You enter your kit when you bought it and where you use it.
Bee kit (not just 'hive' but, floor, roof, frames or each size, draw, foundation, starter etc.) is all over the place - I end up building again when it isn't where I think it is, is being used or close to replacement. Most kit needs a retirement/renovation date. This would be very useful when choosing what bit of kit to use. Location is vital, specially bait hives.
A major mistake app developers make is forgetting how many men are colour blind - I have to remove apps just because they forget this. A fark mode (black background/white text) is vital for many many people.
good luck

First of all, thanks a lot for your input, it helps a lot!

Which DSLR app are you using? I would love to take a peek at how it works. How would it translate to beekeeping? There would be multiple apiaries and each would have some gear associated with it? Or would adding custom locations for the gear suit you more?

When it comes to color blindness, are there any color combinations that suit all of the variants of color blindness? I wanted to this color scheme, is it accessible enough? (The red line is the hive color, not a part of the color scheme)

 

[B+.]

Hello fellow beekeepers!

My father and I started beekeeping two years ago - at the same time when I started studying web development and I decided to make a web app so that we can access our records from anywhere and any device. Since I started, the app grew quite a bit and I am considering making it available for anyone to use it.

In order to do so, I would love some input from beekeepers around the globe what functionalities they like in beekeeping apps they have used and/or what functionalities they wish the apps had they they don't.

Currently, these are the features I have in mind/have implemented

• Adding/deleting hives and editing their info (somewhere down the line, it will be possible to add a photo of the hive as well)
• Adding control info to a hive - there is also a To Do list for each hive with a page that shows To Dos for all the hives so that beekeepers can quickly see what they need to prepare for the following controls
• Showing graphs for some of the data from controls (e.g. on how the colony grows over time)
• Showing automatic warnings for hives (e.g. when the queen hasn't been seen for 2 weeks in a row and there are no fresh eggs)

Some input I would like to get is:

• What info would you like to be able to have for each hive? (right now, there is - overal state, hive description, total number of frames, hive color [I'm not sure how many beekeepers have hives identifiable by color, but we do and my father wanted to have it there for his convenience ], breed of the queen, number of the queen, color of the queen [would having year of the queen instead and taking color from that make more sense?], date when the hive was added, number of honey supers it has and amount of hive it produces [on scale from 1 to 5])
• What info do you track when you do controls? (right now, there is date of the control, number of frames in hive, number of full frames [how many frames are full of bees], number of frames with sealed brood, whether the queen was spotted, whether there have been fresh eggs, whether there has been unsealed brood, what weather and temperature there was, how aggressive the bees were, what work has been done and to dos for next time)
• When should a warning be shown?
• Any other things you have in mind that would make your beekeeping easier thanks to an app?
• Also, English is not my mother tongue so if some terms are not correct (even if I tried to consult the beekeeping glossary here on forum as much as I could), please, please, send me a DM so that I can correct it.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Multiple apiaries - name & location (linked into a map so 1/2/3 mile radius rings around the apiary shows overlap of flying distance. A nice-to-have would be the ability to store crop rotations so you can see what is is due to be sown this year/next year. Layout of the apiary with prevailing wind, high/low spots that are liable to flooding - access arrangements in apiary notes (codes for locks, etc).
Within the apiary, the location/number of each hive also any notes on the queen id/age/etc. For each inspection, the ability to record any signs of swarming, docility, stability on the comb, signs of disease. Then frames given/taken away (what they contain - foundation/drawn, empty comb/pollen/honey/drone or worker comb - sequence of frames and any dummy boards, etc. Also, date/weight of super given/removed from each hive.

 

[user 819]

Can you imagine a functionality that would make you reconsider your choice?

Sorry no, the digital age I put up with because I have to. I keep online stuff to a minimum, I just don't trust cyber tech and phone apps are a big no no for me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can you imagine a functionality that would make you reconsider your choice?

nope, takes seconds with a pocket notebook and pencil to record what I need

 

[Drakthan]

Multiple apiaries - name & location (linked into a map so 1/2/3 mile radius rings around the apiary shows overlap of flying distance. A nice-to-have would be the ability to store crop rotations so you can see what is is due to be sown this year/next year. Layout of the apiary with prevailing wind, high/low spots that are liable to flooding - access arrangements in apiary notes (codes for locks, etc).
Within the apiary, the location/number of each hive also any notes on the queen id/age/etc. For each inspection, the ability to record any signs of swarming, docility, stability on the comb, signs of disease. Then frames given/taken away (what they contain - foundation/drawn, empty comb/pollen/honey/drone or worker comb - sequence of frames and any dummy boards, etc. Also, date/weight of super given/removed from each hive.

Okay, thanks a lot, this is really helpful! I'm not sure how many of these things I will be able to implement right away, but I will surely put some of them on the app's roadmap.

 

[Drakthan]

Sorry no, the digital age I put up with because I have to. I keep online stuff to a minimum, I just don't trust cyber tech and phone apps are a big no no for me.

nope, takes seconds with a pocket notebook and pencil to record what I need

Alright, if it works for you, then that's good!

 

[Buzby]

Ability to record offline. No mobile coverage where my apiaries are. I find Beetight suits / suited most of my needs but it doesn't seem to be well supported anymore, so guaranteed ongoing support is a must. Like most others I find a notebook and a pencil is by far the easiest, quickest, more time efficient and least messy way of recording what needs to be recorded.

 

[Frizzaldo]

would be interested to see the app.
Would also need to track feed and treatment. there are some good templates out there as a starting point.
Freeform section for comments that don't fit elsewhere

 

[Murox]

It might be useful if you develop software that is clever enough to intelligently respond to speech and fit the results into the appropriate places. Keyboards, phones and handsets don't seem to cope well with sticky or gloved fingers, which is probably why I tend to use paper and pencil and even use chalk sometimes to write on bricks.

 

[user 819]

Alright, if it works for you, then that's good!

It does perfectly, pen and paper is so simple /easy. No need to spend hundreds on gadget.

 

[Drakthan]

Ability to record offline. No mobile coverage where my apiaries are. I find Beetight suits / suited most of my needs but it doesn't seem to be well supported anymore, so guaranteed ongoing support is a must. Like most others I find a notebook and a pencil is by far the easiest, quickest, more time efficient and least messy way of recording what needs to be recorded.

Offline support is going to be quite tricky when it comes to a web app and handling data, but I'm sure there is a way to do it (although probably not as a priority right now, though I will keep it in mind!)

 

[Drakthan]

would be interested to see the app.
Would also need to track feed and treatment. there are some good templates out there as a starting point.
Freeform section for comments that don't fit elsewhere

I have a beta version of the app if you wish to see it and I think the way the control system is done should track feed and treatment as well (although it is still work in progress, so you might encounter bugs and stuff)

 

[Drakthan]

It might be useful if you develop software that is clever enough to intelligently respond to speech and fit the results into the appropriate places. Keyboards, phones and handsets don't seem to cope well with sticky or gloved fingers, which is probably why I tend to use paper and pencil and even use chalk sometimes to write on bricks.

Recognizing speech is waaay out of my competence, and I think it would also be technically complicated to do it (I want the app to be available in multiple languages, which would mean implementing different speech functionalities based on the language of the site).

I did think about sticky/gloved fingers though and I have a system in mind where filling in controls should only require tapping buttons to make filling in data easier.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Offline support is going to be quite tricky when it comes to a web app and handling data, but I'm sure there is a way to do it (although probably not as a priority right now, though I will keep it in mind!)

I too use Beetight and would recommend it. Nevertheless it has its shortcomings, of which the inability to handle data off line is, I would agree, the greatest. If there is change of wind direction, or the neighbour's cat sneezes, or whatever, I lose mobile coverage. Apart from the possibility getting propolis on the 'phone, entering data with a gloved finger is an issue, simply solved by keeping a cheapo touchscreen stylus pen in my beesuit.

So I would suggest looking at the functionality and interface of Beetight, and thinking about how they could be improved

 

[spiderplantman]

Offline support is going to be quite tricky when it comes to a web app and handling data, but I'm sure there is a way to do it

Hi, I'm a web developer of some 25+ years experience (yea, yea, old git). Helpful tip - PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) can harness local storage for offline use when no 4G/wifi signal and there are multiple options for types of offline storage from simple key/value pairs for simple data types to more complicated DBs. You can detect network state and sync up to cloud if and when network connectivity is re-established, so offline support is a cinch. Mobile Safari and Chrome both support it, so that's where you need to start looking. Also see Service Workers. This is all really well documented stuff on the web and you'll find no end of tutorials on how to implement it.

The tricky bit with using a web app with bee inspections is getting nectar/honey/propolis all over your treasured mobile device. Bad, bad times. And of course, some types of glove don't let you use touch screens, and some really make using a mobile device cumbersome. Perhaps a really simplified interface just to confirm basics such as Eggs present/Uncapped Brood present/ Capped Brood present/Queen sighted etc

Honestly? I find pencil and a little notebook to be far more effective than using an app on a device for inspections. So easy to record things, look them back up again, doesn't matter if it gets sticky, and I'm not hindered by someone else's idea of what my fastest method of recording info should be (because we all do it differently). It's totally horses for courses though.

Voice memo support would be handy for some people I'm sure ("$@^£&@!*, they're stinging me!"), but most mobile devices already have standalone voice memo apps built-in.

I would prefer to use a web app through a non-mobile device (e.g. desktop/laptop) for record keeping back at home after an inspection, but again, to be honest, I really find my little bee record book and pencil to be unbeatable.

I wonder if some form of beeline mapping tool might be an interesting (if somewhat niche) function - nice and simple interface using on-device GPS recording. See a bee, tap to record location. When it takes off back to the hive, record direction of travel. Repeat several times to trig and you have a handy online map of latitude/longitude of likelihood of where the hive is.

Good luck, and I hope you have fun building your app!

 

[Drakthan]

Hi, I'm a web developer of some 25+ years experience (yea, yea, old git). Helpful tip - PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) can harness local storage for offline use when no 4G/wifi signal and there are multiple options for types of offline storage from simple key/value pairs for simple data types to more complicated DBs. You can detect network state and sync up to cloud if and when network connectivity is re-established, so offline support is a cinch. Mobile Safari and Chrome both support it, so that's where you need to start looking. Also see Service Workers. This is all really well documented stuff on the web and you'll find no end of tutorials on how to implement it.

The tricky bit with using a web app with bee inspections is getting nectar/honey/propolis all over your treasured mobile device. Bad, bad times. And of course, some types of glove don't let you use touch screens, and some really make using a mobile device cumbersome. Perhaps a really simplified interface just to confirm basics such as Eggs present/Uncapped Brood present/ Capped Brood present/Queen sighted etc

Honestly? I find pencil and a little notebook to be far more effective than using an app on a device for inspections. So easy to record things, look them back up again, doesn't matter if it gets sticky, and I'm not hindered by someone else's idea of what my fastest method of recording info should be (because we all do it differently). It's totally horses for courses though.

Voice memo support would be handy for some people I'm sure ("$@^£&@!*, they're stinging me!"), but most mobile devices already have standalone voice memo apps built-in.

I would prefer to use a web app through a non-mobile device (e.g. desktop/laptop) for record keeping back at home after an inspection, but again, to be honest, I really find my little bee record book and pencil to be unbeatable.

I wonder if some form of beeline mapping tool might be an interesting (if somewhat niche) function - nice and simple interface using on-device GPS recording. See a bee, tap to record location. When it takes off back to the hive, record direction of travel. Repeat several times to trig and you have a handy online map of latitude/longitude of likelihood of where the hive is.

Good luck, and I hope you have fun building your app!

Oh my god, this is A LOT of valuable feedback, thanks a lot!

I've heard about PWAs but I have never got around to actually try and see how they work (I started learning web development more seriously last summer, so I still haven't had the time to learn more advanced things).

For the quick interface, it should look something like this, exactly because touchscreens and sticky stuff don't pair well together :



I don't really understand what you mean by beeline mapping tool (probably because English is not my native language and my English beekeeping vocabulary needs some time to develop), would you care to explain its purpose a little bit more?

Other than that, seeing that you have quite some experience in web development, would you mind taking a look at the app when it's in a more presentable state?