# Comparative Study of Natural Fibres to Improve Insulation in Wooden Beehives Using Sensor Networks
## 5 Conclusions  
In the contemporary era, bees face multiple threats, notably due to shifting climatic conditions and the advancement of various stressors, thereby elevating the urgency to enhance their living conditions. Enhancements are vital not only to ensure their survival but also to technologically advance apiculture, a sector until the present time is characterised by low modernisation. This research showcases the potential improvement of conventional wooden Langstroth hives through the integration of a layer of lignocellulosic fibre materials used as thermal insulation. These materials hold the potential to maintain comfortable temperatures within the hive during summer and also mitigate energy expenditure for warming in winter months. Our systematic study, which involved incorporating lignocellulosic fibre materials into a classical hive, demonstrated that any hive could be effortlessly retrofitted to enhance its insulation properties. Additionally, we evaluated the efficacy of a cost-effective sensor network, thereby facilitating remote hive monitoring, which could offer additional advantages for hive management in field conditions. Laboratory tests, conducted under a controlled heat source within classical wooden Langstroth hives and involving various lignocellulosic fibre materials (namely, black cork, white agglomerated cork, wood fibres, and mineral wool) for thermal insulation, were compared against control hives devoid of insulation. Humidity and temperature, both inside and outside the beehive, were monitored via a sensor network, leading to the following observations:  
* The implemented materials exhibited very similar results to each other and provided superior thermal insulation compared to a control hive (black agglomerated cork > wood fibres > white agglomerated cork > wood fibres > control). Every studied material improves insulation proportionally; therefore, the ultimate decision between them should consider factors like availability, cost, and mechanisation properties. * The peak temperature variance recorded at the test's culmination between the hives with thermal insulation and the control hive was 2 \({}^{\circ}\)C for black cork and mineral wool and 1 \({}^{\circ}\)C for white cork and wood fibres--an effect that could significantly enhance the cumulative living conditions of bees. * The low-cost sensor network and communication architecture implemented have performed outstandingly, demonstrating their potential for use in field conditions. These findings are promising, indicating that incorporating insulation within the hive, either as an internal or external removable thermal jacket, yields substantial thermal insulation. This enables more stable thermal regulation within the hive against external temperature fluctuations, thereby the potential to enhance the bees' quality of life, ensuring better survival in the face of climate change or unstable weather conditions and providing direct benefits for the beekeeper. In conclusion, the findings from this study validate the improvement of hive insulation and the implementation of real-time hive monitoring to track the daily cycle within each hive. Accordingly, these insights are set to notably contribute to the conservation and adaptive management of field hives. This comes with immediate potential repercussions for bee survival, enhancement in production, and a reduction in costs resulting from the prevention of unnecessary management actions. Considering the results of this research, we are currently evaluating hives insulated with cork in the field as part of the next phase of this research line. This will enable us to assess the long-term impact of enhanced hive insulation on bee health. The field evaluation will involve testing the differences in survival rates as well as honey and propolis production. Additionally, this will allow us to compare the performance of natural cork insulation with synthetic materials. Conceptualisation, M.C.S., R.P-J. and J.F.F.-P.; methodology, M.C.S., R.P-J. and J.F.F.-P.; software, R.P-J.