🌿 Hive Monitoring in Our Apiaries — Supporting Evidence-Guided Beekeeping
At Pure Coastal Honey, we believe strong colonies are built on careful observation, thoughtful timing, and continuous learning.
This week we installed hive monitoring sensors across our Newrybar and McLeans Ridges apiaries as part of our commitment to evidence-guided beekeeping.
This isn’t about replacing traditional skills. It’s about supporting them.
Why We’re Introducing Hive Monitoring
Beekeeping has always relied on hands-on experience. Reading brood patterns, assessing colony strength, checking stores — these are skills that can’t be replaced.
But between inspections, colonies are constantly responding to weather, forage conditions, humidity, and seasonal shifts.
Hive monitoring technology allows us to observe trends without opening the hive unnecessarily. For us, this means:
Reducing disturbance to colonies
Identifying environmental stress patterns earlier
Comparing apiary performance across locations
Refining inspection timing
Supporting better long-term decision-making
Used carefully, smart hive sensors can complement traditional beekeeping — not compete with it.
What This Means for Our Northern Rivers Apiaries
Our apiaries at Newrybar and McLeans Ridges experience different microclimates, rainfall patterns, and forage availability.
By monitoring conditions across both sites, we hope to better understand:
How coastal humidity affects colony behaviour
Seasonal variation between locations
Environmental signals before visible colony changes
Patterns that influence honey production cycles
Every region has its own rhythm. Our goal is to listen more closely to ours.
Evidence-Guided Beekeeping at Pure Coastal Honey
Evidence-guided beekeeping is one of the core pillars of Pure Coastal Honey.
It means:
🐝 Measuring before reacting
📊 Using data to support experience
🌱 Intervening only when needed
📚 Continually learning from our own apiaries
We already apply this approach through mite monitoring, seasonal tracking, permanent NUC support systems, and structured apiary records.
Hive monitoring is simply another tool supporting that philosophy.
Technology With Purpose
No sensor replaces lifting a frame.
No graph replaces beekeeper judgement.
But if technology helps us:
Reduce unnecessary inspections
Better understand our coastal conditions
Support colony resilience
Make calmer, more informed decisions
Then it strengthens what Pure Coastal Honey stands for.
Healthy bees.
Thoughtful management.
Honey shaped by place and season.
Looking Ahead
This is a learning trial, not a shortcut.
Over the coming months, we’ll be reviewing trends, comparing apiaries, and sharing insights as we better understand how this technology supports our colonies.
Pure Coastal Honey will always balance tradition with careful innovation — because better understanding leads to better stewardship.
—
Jamie & Catherine
Pure Coastal Honey
Northern Rivers, NSW
