Intelligent technologies revamp apiculture in Wudang

An employee monitors a bee breeding base using a mobile device linked to a camera at the base. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Xinpu village in Wudang district, Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has a forest coverage rate of over 67 percent. To fully utilize this resource, the village decided to develop its forestry derived economy by introducing an intelligent beekeeping industry to drive the village's development and strengthen the collective economy.

In 2023, Xinpu village brought in Guizhou Yelang Apiculture Technology Co, the only bee product exporter in Guizhou province. The company owns 33 trademarks, seven packaging patents, and two technology patents. It was recognized as a "Guizhou Time-Honored Brand" in 2021 and received EU certification in August 2022.

After it started operating in the village, the company leveraged its intelligent beekeeping technology to create an ecological honey farming agricultural industrial park consisting of a bee-themed park, a bee science popularization museum, a bee breeding base, a queen bee breeding base, and an export filing base.

Straying from traditional beekeeping practices, the bee breeding base has equipped each beehive with cameras and devices to monitor temperature and humidity. This setup allows for real-time observation of the base and bee colonies without needing to be on-site, reducing manual labor and intervention while ensuring the quality of the honey.

"With intelligent breeding technology, I can manage the base's bees by myself," said 54-year-old beekeeper Su Dabiao. The base currently has over 200 beehives, and with just a smartphone, he can remotely monitor the bees' status and promptly handle any unexpected issues that arise.

The bee science promotion museum. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Relying on intelligent beekeeping technology, the company has made Xinpu village a scientific beekeeping training base and bee science education base. They offer science education tours, beekeeping experiences, and recreational activities, which are expected to attract more visitors and financial resources to the village, create more job opportunities, and further increase villagers' income.