Giving back

Harbo assays at home, free.

BuzzTech can be useful before a commercial rollout. Create one free apiary, add your first hive, then use the existing Harbo Assay inspection flow on the hives you want to compare. Tags, phone camera live view and a simple endoscope setup are optional helpers, not starting barriers.

See the app flow More than one apiary?

Free account limitSelf-serve free accounts are limited to one apiary. Extra apiaries, imports, teams and tag rollouts should go through a BuzzTech setup request.

BuzzTech app inspection selector with Harbo Assay available after onboarding — **Existing app flow**Onboarding ends at the normal inspection selector.

One apiary path

Setup asks only for what the app needs.

The free path is intentionally small: verify the account, name one apiary, add one hive, then start inspecting. A home beekeeper can use a marker on the lid today and add QR, RFID or NFC tags later.

BuzzTech onboarding with personal one-apiary free path selected — **Choose the free path**Personal starts with one apiary and one first hive.

Add your apiary screen with home, work, GPS and enter later options — **Name the apiary**Home, work or other, with GPS now or later.

Add your first hive screen with optional tag number and lid ID options — **Add Hive 1**Use a lid number, your own NFC tag or order tags later.

Harbo assay

Run the assay on a subset of hives without changing the way you keep bees.

Pick a few candidate hives, open the Harbo Assay inspection type, and record each valid worker brood cell as N+, R, NR or NV. The cell-by-cell choices build the frame or hive score and stay attached to the hive record instead of a loose notebook page.

Start small

Subset, not whole apiary

Use the flow on the hives you want to compare, then decide whether more testing is worth it.

No tag required

Lid numbers work

A written hive number is enough to keep results consistent. Tags only make repeat visits faster.

Guided scoring

Diagnostic prompts

The app keeps the cell classes visible and reminds you to count only valid worker pupae.

Ready to grow

Upgrade when needed

Extra apiaries, imported hive lists and tag projects should move into assisted setup.

Harbo Assay start screen for Hive 1 with valid worker cell guidance — **Before cell 1**The assay starts with the hive context and the first valid cell prompt.

Learn with live view

Use the phone camera or a simple endoscope to see each cell while you score.

Manual Harbo entry remains the base flow. Live view lets the user show what is happening in the brood cell, keep the class guidance on screen, choose N+, R, NR or NV, and build the assay score for that frame or hive record.

Phone first

Use what is in your pocket

Where supported, the rear phone camera can be used to practice the workflow and learn the class language.

Simple setup

Endoscope friendly

A compatible USB/UVC endoscope can give a steadier cell view when close focus or teaching matters.

Learning aidThe live overlays make VSH / Harbo scoring more approachable: inspect the cell, read the diagnostic prompt, pick the class, then move to the next valid cell.

BuzzTech Harbo live view showing the NR non-reproductive mite family overlay and class scoring controls — **Live class overlay**The camera view and class guidance stay together while the user learns the score.

Harbo Assay cell entry screen showing N plus, reproductive, non-reproductive and non-viable choices — **Cell entry**N+, R, NR and NV are visible while the count progresses.

With or without tags

Tags make repeat work easier. They are not the starting barrier.

A home beekeeper can write Hive 1 on the lid and begin. A more tag-minded user can use their own NFC tags, order BuzzTech tags, or ask about QR and RFID options once the first records are useful.

Optional

App and hive tags

See how scan-first records reduce memory gaps.

Tag choices

QR, RFID and NFC

Compare practical identity options before committing.

Deeper workflow

VSH / Harbo selection

For breeding, retesting and commercial decision context.

Learning

Open Varroa dataset

Use reference images to sharpen mite-family recognition.

More than one apiary

Free self-serve stays simple. Bigger setups get a real setup conversation.

If you have more than one apiary, an existing spreadsheet, a team, or a tag rollout, the app should not pretend that a tiny wizard can map your operation properly. Send a setup request and we will work through apiaries, hive identity, imports, tags and reporting needs.

Why this belongs in Giving BackSmall and home apiaries can still learn from structured Harbo records. Commercial complexity should be handled carefully.