Problem solving and fundamental research

Bumblebee colonies are not a fixed value commodity. Just like your crop, if you create the right conditions, they can flourish and radically outperform – and it’s not just about the bees, it’s about creating a functioning plant-pollinator system.

Our long-standing research collaboration with Professor Geraldine Wright’s Bee Lab at the University of Oxford has uncovered a host of issues that impact pollinator performance – and that there is a huge potential to improve the pollination value you get from every hive you buy.

We have uncovered major impacts from:

• How colonies are introduced into the glasshouse

• How supplementary lighting shifts the circadian rhythm of flower opening and bee activity

• How energy screens disrupt navigation and radically impact pollination

• Bees' preferences for certain varietal characteristics

• Hive stocking densities

Our services

If you have a problem with pollination, we can help investigate and resolve. This is the scenario where our broad suite of tools makes it practical for us to instrument the full pollination ecosystem and gain insights that are far beyond any standard off-the-shelf or single-mode product.

Our products

We analyse pollinator performance using hive camera; we analyse the flowering cycle and plant-pollinator interactions using crop camera; we analyse the behaviour of individual bees with tag tracker; and we use integrated environmental sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, visible and UV light, weather and more. We instrument the full pollination system to try and uncover the underlying drivers and limitations within the system - and to enable us to quantify & demonstrate the improvements we make.

We help growers improve pollination performance, by taking a data and science-driven approach to monitoring and managing the pollination system.

We go deep into the science to optimise bumblebee pollination

Plant-pollinator systems are complex and subtle.

Optimising them requires a deep understanding of the biology, the right real-time data, and a strong collaboration with the grower to ensure solutions are practical and impactful.

Oxford Bee Ops is collaborating with commercial growers, bee producers and the University of Oxford and to undertake the fundamental research required to have that deep understanding. Part of our research is supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [grant number BB/Z51438X/1].

We have deployed large-scale, multi-modal, sensor systems that monitor hive quality & status, hive activity, in-crop activity, flowering cycles, and environmental factors allowing us to understand the key drivers of pollination success and crop yield.

These systems, and the data generated, provide the basis for predicting and enhancing pollination outcomes – delivering a true precision management system for growers.