App offers improved communication between farmers and beekeepers
Register to use desktop version
CropLife Canada and the Canadian Honey Council have partnered to bring BeeConnected, an app that helps encourage communication between beekeepers and farmers, to Canada.
BeeConnected anonymously connects registered farmers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators – free of charge – to provide information on any pesticide application activity or beehive locations near them – all through the use of a web browser, iPhone or Android device.
There has been a strong interest in improving communication between all parties and the BeeConnected app addresses this issue with an end goal of helping prevent bees from being unintentionally exposed to pesticides.
The Canadian Honey Council understands the importance of the full agriculture industry working together. BeeConnected is another tool that can help improve information sharing between beekeepers, farmers and contractors to ensure bees are protected.
Getting started is easy. Users simply download the app from the Apple app store or Google Play and create an account right on their smartphone. Farmers are then notified when a beekeeper logs a bee yard location within five kilometres of their property and beekeepers are notified when any crop protection activity is logged within five kilometres of their hives. All registered information is kept confidential and users are always anonymous.
Registered users can choose to use BeeConnected’s built-in messaging service to coordinate and privately share information with specific users or can broadcast their message to any relevant users registered within a five kilometre radius of their activity or hive.
Farmers, commercial applicators and beekeepers can also explore the in-app map to find any nearby activity that could affect them. But beekeepers can’t see other beekeepers and farmers and pesticide applicators can’t see other farmers and applicators, which was flagged as a concern for users of existing geolocator apps.
Bees and pesticides are integral and complementary components of sustainable agriculture. The plant science industry is committed to ensuring both beekeeping and agriculture can co-exist and thrive and BeeConnected is just one tool to help make the connection between farmers and beekeepers by opening up a line of communication about agricultural activity or hive locations with their neighbours.
Head to beeconnected.ca to learn more about the app.
Pierre Petelle,
President, CropLife Canada
Scott Plante, chair of the Canadian Honey Council board of directors