Automated Monitoring Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Bees with backpacks
By Julian Cassano in R package
August 1, 2020
A glimpse into the busy lives bees!
This project utilizes automated Radio Frequency Identification methods to monitor foraging behavior for individuals honeybees. We start by fascinating our “bee backpacks” to newly hatched workers and re introducing them into an experimental colony. Next we set up RFID readers at the hive entrance and when the tagged individuals are old enough to leave the hive, we start collecting data! This project has challenged me manipulate large, noisy datasets (sometimes over a million entries!) and apply statistical techniques to make sense of it all.