Queen marking with RFID chip

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boca

House Bee
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
141
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Location
North Italy
Hive Type
Langstroth
I am looking for an affordable reader + RFID chips small enough to be glued to a mated queen. The reading distance would be nice to be at least 25-30 cm.
Can you give me directions where to start? (books, articles, suppliers)
Thank you
 
I am a micro chip implanter for dogs, cats, rabbits etc etc. The micro chips we use are 6mm long and 2mm wide, but the scanner has to be close to the chip, for best results the scanner has to be within 5cm of the chip for the chip to be found.

I am not sure how a queen would react to a chip that size on her back.
 
Would be useful for finding HM if the scanner range was 5cm you'd be able to work out which frame she was on. Brilliant for doing an AS.
 
Would be useful for finding HM if the scanner range was 5cm you'd be able to work out which frame she was on. Brilliant for doing an AS.

i think a big white blob of paint would be easyer IMHO
 
My understanding was the size of the antenna was the problem...... soon some one in China will be producing an RF queen locator... the chips are down!!!
 
The RFID things inserted into cats and dogs are quite small but they include an outer which is there to protect the chip. The actual chip itself is much smaller and I guess this is what you can see in the image in the article Ma's Nose referred to. However, I fear the inserts you can buy for pets have the chip embedded in resin or plastic so may be difficult to extract.

I looked at RFID chips as a way of marking hives but the problem was the lack of range, as already referred to. You will also need to buy a chip reader - can't remember how much they were but not small change. The chips themselves are a few pounds each.

For suppliers just Google "RFID pets readers". If you want to take it further try contacting a few suppliers to see if you can buy the chips on their own without the protective cover.
 
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The RFID things inserted into cats and dogs are quite small but they include an outer which is there to protect the chip. The actual chip itself is much smaller and I guess this is what you can see in the image in the article Ma's Nose referred to. However, I fear the inserts you can buy for pets have the chip embedded in resin or plastic so may be difficult to extract.

I looked at RFID chips as a way of marking hives but the problem was the lack of range, as already referred to. You will also need to buy a chip reader - can't remember how much they were but not small change. The chips themselves are a few pounds each.

For suppliers just Google "RFID pets readers". If you want to take it further try contacting a few suppliers to see if you can buy the chips on their own without the protective cover.

The cover on the chips is medical grade glass and could be smashed to get to the chip indside i guess. You cant buy the chips unless your a qualified implanter or Vet.
 
Possible problems with this, Isn't it going to fall off with time as the glue isn't permanent also would it affect bee space and cost?

Maybe it could be used for anti theft well more like to help recover a stolen hive by being hidden as part of the hive embedded in the wood and then covered over?
 
Maybe it could be used for anti theft well more like to help recover a stolen hive by being hidden as part of the hive embedded in the wood and then covered over?

This is already under research. The chip can be hidden in the joints etc when assembling boxes, and when the technology is ready, you will be able to hold your reader, walk round the apiary, and all the boxes present will appear on a list.......compare it with the list from end of previous visit...and you know if anything has gone missing. As every chip would be unique a scan of a potential bee thiefs place would soon reveal the presence of chips.

It will be a runner as soon as the price of the chips comes down far enough, and the range of the scanner increases............both of which are improving all the time.
 
T.........

It will be a runner as soon as the price of the chips comes down far enough, and the range of the scanner increases............both of which are improving all the time.

Will this mean scorching boxes as part of hygiene routines now includes "Cooking Chips" as well...:eek:
 
We have a quad that is chipped.
It may be worth a look at d a t a t a g. c o . u k without the spaces.

Tim
 
Will this mean scorching boxes as part of hygiene routines now includes "Cooking Chips" as well...:eek:

lol

The idea is that during the assembly process you drill a small hole, possibly in the very corner of one of the notches of a finger joint so nailing will not hit it, then insert the chip, assemble the box, and then you chip is hidden in the interior of the wood, and totally invisible to the guy with the mask and stipey jumper carting the hive away. He will think he has got away with clean gear...........and will never know there is a chip hidden in the box interior.

In that position it will not be cooked when scorching.

For preassembled boxes you will need to have a personal hiding place in mind. Away out in the corner of the frame rest area and then shove loads of proplis in behind it so the hole is invisible might be best. We are talking a VERY narrow and quite deep hole, about the thickness of a box nail shank, and once disguised will be quite hard to find.
 
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It will be a runner as soon as the price of the chips comes down far enough, and the range of the scanner increases............both of which are improving all the time.

The price of my micro chips are just £5 each, not a large cost for chipping a single hive.

Taking the idea to the next level, you could chip each frame also if you could afford it.
 
I am looking for an affordable reader + RFID chips small enough to be glued to a mated queen. The reading distance would be nice to be at least 25-30 cm.
Can you give me directions where to start? (books, articles, suppliers)
Thank you

0.05mm x 0.05mm is the smallest RFID on the market....Mu chips will be much smaller
 
So with this idea,say someone up north stole some hives.Sold them to someone down south.Hows the chip going to help unless everyone has a scanner.In which case if everyone does have one,so will the scum that stole it in the first place.
Or have i missed something .
 
The idea is that during the assembly process you drill a small hole, possibly in the very corner of one of the notches of a finger joint so nailing will not hit it, then insert the chip, assemble the box, and then you chip is hidden in the interior of the wood, and totally invisible to the guy with the mask and stipey jumper carting the hive away. He will think he has got away with clean gear...........and will never know there is a chip hidden in the box interior.

They will scan and either fry the chip or bin the box. Thieves already have GSM detectors for trackers, this is trivial and cheap in comparison.
 
Not far away

http://tinyurl.com/7kbtjca

I also recollect spmeone from Sussex University saying they had done it in a similar way to this:

http://tinyurl.com/6sm5ntr

Scroll down about 10 para/articles but read all the others too - v interesting!

And a shedload on Goog Le

Hope that gives the OP something to start reading and people to contact.
 
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From the original link given for the Jurgen Tautz research - The buzz about bees
RFID tags and readers provided by Microsensys, ( www.microsensys .de )
The group used mic3 passive 13.56 MHz tags, complying with the ISO 15693 and 14443 standards, and measuring 1 millimeter by 1.6 millimeters. Each stored a unique 64-bit number. The tags weigh approximately 2.4 milligrams.

Conceivably tags can be made that will only respond to a correct interrogation signal and so your average scroat would have to spend a lot of time scanning boxes attempting to get a RFID return. Particularly if the box in question wasn't chipped. He would be more likely to get a signal from his store bought jeans or Calvin Klyne underwear.

RFID tags also exist that are autoclave safe if the need arose.

Technology generally is indeed moving at a rapid pace.
 
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