Electronic Record Keeping
Overview
Keeping good records about your beekeeping activities is key for many reasons.
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Choosing a System to Use
There are some systems which have come and are now gone; one of these is Beetight. I have no experience with this system, but is does bring to light the need to assure yourself that the system you are going to invest your time (and probably money also) in using should have these aspects:
- Trust that it will be around for a while, so that you will not:
- Have to re-enter any data, and
- Have to re-learn how to use a new system
- Provide the ability to export the data for later use as necessary.
Other aspects you should consider include these.
- The system you choose should have an app which runs on your phone. That will allow you to use it in the apiary or on the go.
- The system should backup the data from the app to the Internet (the Cloud), and that backup should be transparent (i.e., it should not require an action by you). There were some systems a few years ago which did not do this, and the actions required were cumbersome.
- The system should be able share data with other apiarists you define. My elder daughter and I work bees tougher. We both are using our system to ensure we are working from the same set of truth.
Feature Comparison
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Feature |
Application | ||
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ApiManager |
HiveBloom |
HiveTracks | |
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Apiary Management |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Hive/Colony Management |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Yes |
No |
No |
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No |
No |
No |
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Queen Management |
Yes - Extensive |
Yes - Basic |
Yes - Basic |
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Task/To-Do Management |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Financials Tracking |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
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Inventory Management |
Yes - Products from the bees and hive equipment |
No |
No |
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Additional Aspects |
ApiManager |
HiveBloom |
HiveTracks |
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Ease of Use |
Acceptable |
Easy |
Easy |
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Multi-User |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
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Smart phone support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Tablet support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
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Web browser support |
Yes |
No |
Yes - with Pro license |
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Data Export Capability |
Yes |
No |
No |
Subjective assessments are my own.
The systems I have used are further discussed below.
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ApiManager
ApiManager (www.apimanager.net) has a load of features and is quite configurable. That said, it is probably not the tool a new beekeeper should use as it can be a little overwhelming.
Cost
As of early 2026, there is a free level which accommodates up to 20 hives. The tiers beyond that are for apiarists with up to:
- 50 hives
- 100 hives
- 10,000 hives
You should check their web site for costs.
Getting Started
I recommend you setup an account on the web interface (www.apimanager.net first, and then download the app to your phone or tablet.
Additionally, I found that setting up apiary, hive, and all other information easier to do on the web. It does not work differently, but the screen is bigger and there is a keyboard and mouse.
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HiveBloom
HiveBloom (hivebloom.com) is very easy to use and has apps for phones and tablets. I use it on my iPhone and iPad.
This application has fewer fields for data entry, but the key elements can be entered as text.
Cost
As of early 2026, HiveBloom costs $18 per annum, and there are no limits on its usage.
Getting Started
Download the app from the relevant phone's store and get going. If you have a tablet on the same account, the data is automatically synchronized.
If your tablet can use a keyboard (e.g., via bluetooth), that is recommended.
You can share the apiary with another user, and then they will have the ability to do everything you can do.
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HiveTracks
ApiManager (www.hivetracks.com) is very easy to use. Also, the support team is very responsive for helping get it setup. This was particularly useful for me when setting it up for our club.
Cost
As of early 2026, there is a free level which accommodates up to 20 hives. The tiers beyond that are for apiarists with up to:
- 50 hives
- 100 hives
- 10,000 hives
Getting Started
Download the app from the relevant phone's store and get going. If you have a tablet on the same account, the data is automatically synchronized.
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Disclaimer: eMail comments to me at BeekeepingBoK @ Gmail.com. The process of beekeeping can cause injury or be a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken, including the wearing of appropriate protective equipment. |