Received Signal Strength Indicator Measurements and Simulations for Radio Frequency Identification Tag Identification and Location in Beehives

The last few years have seen the introduction of new technologies in beekeeping, including RFID. Using readers and miniaturized tags, RFID systems work in the UHF frequency band, allowing reading distances to reach tens of centimeters. This work analyzes the propagation inside a full beehive, composed of 10 frames supported by a wooden structure. Each frame contains a layer of beeswax supported by metallic wires. The methodology employed involves measuring Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values and simulating the environment using CST Studio. The results show that tags located along the frame's wires have more coverage than tags in the center positions, revealing coupling of the microtag antenna with the wire. Furthermore, obtaining coverage through simulations represents a more restrictive approach than through measurements. Frame selectivity is also observed, as most of the coverage is found within the three frames closest to the reader antenna. This result shows that RFID systems can find application in the identification and location of the queen bee in a hive.