How QR Codes Are Revolutionizing Honeybee Tracking and Conservation
In an era where technology is woven into every aspect of life, it was only a matter of time before someone asked: Can we put a QR code on a bee? It turns out, the answer is yes—and it’s revolutionizing our understanding of these crucial pollinators.
A team of entomologists and engineers at Penn State University has developed an ingenious way to track honeybee movement, lifespans, and foraging behavior. By gluing tiny QR codes onto bees’ backs, they can scan and log each bee’s activity as it enters and exits the hive. Think of it like a scannable ID badge, but for bees.
How Far Do Bees Fly to Forage?
For decades, scientists have struggled to measure exactly how far honeybees travel in search of food. Early estimates suggested they could fly up to 10 km (6.1 miles), which influenced early USDA regulations for organic honey certification. However, without accurate tracking methods, these numbers were largely based on educated guesses—or the infamous "waggle dance," a movement bees use to communicate foraging locations to their hive-mates.
But relying on human observation of waggle dances is limited. “The number of observations we can make as humans will never scale up to what a machine can do,” explained Margarita López-Uribe, associate professor of entomology at Penn State and co-author of the study. Enter QR code tracking—a method that allows researchers to log thousands of bees’ flights with precision.
How the QR Code System Works
The tracking system is surprisingly simple yet effective. Researchers designed a custom scanner system using Raspberry Pi computers and cameras, positioned above hive entrances. They then attached tiny QR codes to young, soft-bodied bees (which were less likely to sting). When a bee flew in or out, the scanner logged its unique ID, along with the time, date, and outside temperature—all at a fraction of the cost of traditional tracking technology.
Each system cost around $1,500 per apiary, and over the course of the study, scientists tagged more than 32,000 bees across six locations. The sheer scale of the data collected is unlike anything seen before in bee research.
Surprising Discoveries About Bee Behavior
The study confirmed some long-held theories—but also shattered a few.
- Most bees take short foraging trips—just a few minutes.
- About 34% of bees take extended flights, lasting up to two hours—a shocking discovery that suggests bees’ travel distances may be more dictated by food availability than previously thought.
- Honeybee lifespans are longer than expected—traditionally believed to live only 28 days, researchers found that many bees foraged for six weeks after they reached maturity, meaning their lifespans might be significantly longer.
These findings are a game-changer for both beekeeping and conservation efforts. Understanding exactly how far bees travel—and how long they live—could reshape strategies for organic farming, pesticide regulations, and hive management.
The Future of Beekeeping
Now that their methods and findings are published in the open-source journal HardwareX, López-Uribe’s team hopes others will adopt similar techniques. They plan to host workshops to teach conservationists and beekeepers how to implement their own tracking systems.
“This technology is opening up opportunities for biologists to study systems in ways that weren’t previously possible,” López-Uribe stated. With honeybee populations declining worldwide, this research could be the key to ensuring their survival—and, by extension, the health of our planet’s ecosystems.
One thing is certain: In the future, the buzz about honeybees might just start with a beep—of a QR scanner.