In the rugged, remote landscapes of New Zealand, commercial beekeepers face a perennial challenge: how to efficiently monitor thousands of hives scattered across vast, often inaccessible terrain.

Thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between One NZ and SpaceX, beekeepers are now harnessing satellite connectivity to deploy Internet of Things (IoT) devices at their hives, transforming how they manage bee health, optimise honey yields, and run their operations.

Why satellite connectivity is a game changer

Traditional connectivity solutions, ranging from analogue radio and low-speed data networks to cellular coverage, have long limited the reach and effectiveness of remote beehive monitoring.

Many rural and wilderness areas simply fall outside the range of terrestrial networks, leaving beekeepers reliant on expensive, low-bandwidth satellite services or forced to make costly, time-consuming site visits.

Andrew Thompson, Chief Executive of APIS Solutions, describes the new Starlink Direct to Cell technology available to One NZ customers as “the biggest change in communications since Bell South came in with GSM over 30 years ago when 2G mobile communication was introduced”.

“We get a connection about 95% of the time, first time,” says Thompson, who provides technology solutions for beekeepers across the country and Australia.

“The sensors in the hives and in the areas hives are placed are constantly generating valuable data. Beekeepers use that data for near real-time decision making, and for historical analysis.

“Often, within seconds, it’s sitting on a computer server and displaying in graphs or however the beekeeper needs it. It’s night and day compared to what we had in the past, and it is getting better every day,” adds Thompson.

The hive and apiary sensors use communications modules that also operate on the One NZ terrestrial network, so the same device can switch seamlessly between accessing ground-based mobile towers or One NZ Satellite, which uses Starlink’s currently 650-strong Direct to Cell satellite network. This eliminates the patchwork of coverage and complexity of managing multiple device types for One NZ IoT customers.

Now, a single IoT device can be deployed anywhere with a view of the sky, which could include a windswept hilltop or in native bush where hives are often placed, and reliably transmit data back to base.

iAPIS monitoring: Keeping tabs on bee health and honey yield

The deployment of these solar-powered IoT sensor kits, such as iAPIS Monitoring from APIS Solutions, means beekeepers can now collect and analyse a rich stream of data from each hive and apiary site in near real-time.

Monitoring temperature, humidity, bee activity and weather helps predict optimal times for hive placement and honey production. Sensors track the weight of the hive and signal when hives need attention or are ready for harvest.

Using cameras to detect bee movement in and out of the hive also provides early warnings of potential issues or underperformance along with AI predictions on bloom forecasts. By correlating environmental and hive data, beekeepers can predict nectar flows, optimise hive locations, and maximise honey yields – all very important factors for honey production.

“The minute the target flora, typically manuka, starts to bloom, beekeepers can see the bees putting on honey, and which hives are performing best,” says Thompson.

“So beekeepers, just like all in any industry, are looking to improve their operational efficiency and lower costs, by getting accurate and timely data. In this case it is how hives are performing and the environment around them for context.

Their hives are often helicoptered into hard-to-reach locations, so this connectivity lowers costs by reducing expensive and unnecessary site visits, enables rapid response to changing conditions, and allows for precision harvest management that was previously impossible so you aren’t going in too early, or too late.

Real-world impact

Beekeepers who have been trialling satellite connectivity to their hives this year have found they can make data-driven decisions to help maintain strong, healthy colonies and maximise honey production, says Thompson.

“The cost of deploying these solutions can be quickly offset by increased yields and operational savings.”

The success of satellite IoT in beekeeping is just the beginning. As Thompson notes:

“The technology is not just solving problems for New Zealand beekeepers, it’s enabling us to solve problems for oil and gas, utilities, and other industries that need remote, near-real-time analysis of sensor data and alerts. One NZ and their partner SpaceX will fundamentally change the game for remote communications.”

As this technology matures, it promises to transform remote monitoring and management across countless sectors, wherever the land is wild or remote and traditional network options fall short.

To see how people are using One NZ Satellite head to one.nz/satellite/stories.