How Nate's Honey uses AI to protect its 6 billion bees

Americans consume more than 600 million pounds of honey each year, so much that honey has to be imported to meet the demand. Honey depends on healthy bees, which are facing an uphill battle domestically, with 50% of bee colonies dying in the US every year. Pests, like the Varroa mite, and constant movement put hives at risk. So Nate’s Honey and Sweet Harvest Foods are turning to artificial intelligence to help keep bees healthy. They use AI detection devices to monitor the sounds hives make. And they’ve employed a robotic hive, which helps determine if mites are spreading. But can these technologies actually help the US make more honey?

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Americans consume more than 600 million pounds of honey each year, so much that honey has to be imported to meet the demand. Honey depends on healthy bees, which are facing an uphill battle domestically, with 50% of bee colonies dying in the US every year. Pests, like the Varroa mite, and constant movement put hives at risk. So Nate’s Honey and Sweet Harvest Foods are turning to artificial intelligence to help keep bees healthy. They use AI detection devices to monitor the sounds hives make. And they’ve employed a robotic hive, which helps determine if mites are spreading. But can these technologies actually help the US make more honey?