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Bee Science field in Hadley Surveyed

On Friday we had our surveyors out at the Hadley field to mark the boundaries of the future Bee Science Farm in Hadley. Over 7 acres were marked out, and even though there are corn and potatoes growing, it is clear that many native and domesticated bees are visiting the various existing wildflowers and weeds. The North side of the farm is located next to a busy road, but is well shielded by a stream and a lot of overgrown bittersweet - some that we intend to remove to try to save the trees being choked by that invasive vine. Along the road there were numerous honeybees already present, though we don't know the location(s) of any local hives. The day was partly overcast and not too hot, so the work went smoothly and comfortably! We are thankful for the great job Surveyors Eaton & Associates of Hadley performed. Were there any surprises? Yes! The property seems much bigger than we expected, probably because you cannot access the North end from the South due to the stream

Bee Science Farm to use recycled Tesla batteries in instrument trailer

Weather protection and safety guidelines require an enclosure. An important part of the Bee Science Farm mission is to develop techniques to monitor and report pollinating insect population changes over time. We need a consistent source of power to operate the two-dozen ground mounted microphones, amplifiers and data recorders, not to mention the computer and the wifi link. This is a big challenge. Some other creative people have figured out how to do this within a small space of a utility type cargo trailer. Here is an interesting website that shows a food cart powered by a used Tesla battery and the image here is from that site. Tesla batteries are very expensive, require exact charge controls, and can't be allowed to freeze or be overcharged. Our system will use two Tesla Model S battery packs salvaged from wrecked cars. The control electronics consist of a charge controller that takes voltage from the roof mounted solar panels, an inverter, and temperature and other

Bee Science Farm basic habitat plantings

https://www.bee-safe.eu/article/insect-decline-nine-action-steps/ Above is a link to an article that also recommends pretty much what Bee Science Farm in Hadley will create as a habitat for bee study. And here is an aerial view of the farm looking at Bay Rd. in Hadley across from the Hampton Inn. The triangle of land at the top is partly within the property boundary, and the strip to its right is at least 20' above the level of the field. Next year plantings in the field will include clover and native-only wildflowers, and up the middle will be a path to the research platform which initially will just be a portable base that can be moved to different spots. Since there is no electricity, all the equipment will have to be solar-powered, and data from instruments will have to be relayed over either a cellular link, or perhaps via a wifi link to a LAN connection somewhere across the street.

Bee Science

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