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Apiary Management

An apiary is your main context in Hive-Pal. All data displayed throughout the application is for your currently selected apiary.

Video Tutorial​

[Video: Apiary Management - Coming Soon]

Understanding Apiaries​

Context Switching​

Apiaries serve as the main organizational context in Hive-Pal. When you select an apiary, all displayed information (hives, inspections, tasks, etc.) relates to that specific location.

Apiary Dropdown in Sidebar

Switching Between Apiaries​

  • Use the apiary dropdown in the top-left sidebar
  • Click to see all your apiaries
  • Select different apiary to switch context
  • All dashboard data updates automatically

Creating an Apiary​

To create a new apiary, you need:

Required Information​

  • Name: Descriptive name for the location (e.g., "Home Garden", "Johnson Farm")
  • Location Description: Brief description of the site
  • GPS Coordinates: Latitude and longitude for weather integration

Creation Steps​

  1. Click the "+" button or use FAB menu
  2. Select "New Apiary"
  3. Fill in the required fields:
    • Enter apiary name
    • Add location description
    • Set GPS coordinates (click on map or enter manually)
  4. Click "Save"

Apiary Creation Form

Hive Layout Grid​

Dashboard Display​

The top section of your dashboard shows a visual grid layout of all hives in the current apiary. This provides an at-a-glance view of your hive arrangement.

Dashboard Hive Grid Layout

Configuring Layout​

  1. Navigate to apiary details
  2. Click "Hives"
  3. Drag and position hives in the grid
  4. The grid adjusts to the number of hives in row/column
  5. Layout saves automatically

Grid Configuration Interface

Grid Benefits​

  • Visual representation of physical hive placement
  • Quick status overview of all hives
  • Easy identification of hive locations
  • Matches your actual apiary layout

Managing Apiaries​

Editing Apiary Details​

  • Click edit button on apiary details page
  • Update name, description, or coordinates
  • Changes apply immediately

Seasons​

Owners can open the Seasons tab on the apiary to define the shared schedule for its hives. A strip at the top shows the whole year: each season as a coloured segment and the days in between as Year-round. Tap a segment for a summary of its inspection interval and feeding target.

  • Year-round sets the inspection interval for every day no season covers. Leave it empty to let each hive keep its own interval.
  • Add a season with a name, start/end month and day, an optional inspection interval, and (optionally) a feeding target in kg of sugar. Turn Inspections off for a season with no inspections at all, such as winter: nothing is scheduled or overdue until it ends.
  • Saved seasons show as one-line summaries; click a season to edit it.
  • Seasons must not overlap; a date can only belong to one season.
  • Hives inherit the year-round interval and the seasons together, as one schedule. They keep following it when it changes, unless they customise their own on the hive's Settings tab.
  • Apply to all hives copies the saved schedule into every hive in the apiary. It replaces hive-specific seasons, year-round intervals and the old autumn feeding settings, so it asks for confirmation first.

If no template is saved, hives fall back to the built-in autumn feeding season (Aug 1 – Oct 31, 12 kg) and their own base inspection interval.

Deleting an Apiary​

Warning: Deleting an apiary removes all associated hives and data

  1. Navigate to apiary settings
  2. Click "Delete Apiary"
  3. Confirm deletion by typing apiary name

Best Practices​

  • Use descriptive names that identify the location clearly
  • Keep GPS coordinates accurate for weather data
  • Set up the grid layout to match your physical arrangement
  • Switch contexts using the sidebar dropdown, not by navigating between pages