Wyld Networks AB announced the deployment of contact sensors integrated with Wyld Connect, designed and developed by Wyld Networks with Bayer Crop Sciences entomology team, to deliver hive interaction data to the global apiculture sector. The first prototype IoT beehive lid contact sensors in North America have been installed on hives in North Carolina and are now uploading data automatically. The first install was in France and more units will be deployed in 2022 on beehives in Utah, Missouri, and the Varroa-free island of Newfoundland, Canada.

The UN'sIntergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystems services (IPBES) reports that globally numbers of managed honey bees are increasing with a current estimate of 81 million managed beehives. Bayer and Wyld, in collaboration with visionary and pioneering beekeepers, are in the pilot phase with the solution, using LoRaWAN gateways for internet connectivity. A transition to low-earth orbit satellite connectivity is scheduled with testing in France underway and with full satellite service for Bayer to commence in early 2023.

Data is passing via Wyld Fusion to a Bayer end user application. Further analyses of aggregated data from contact sensors, hive scales, and inspections will yield benefits for the global apiculture sector supporting sustainable crop production.