Interested in trying a new treatment or supplement? We can determine if it makes a difference in your operation with a customized field trial. We work with you to gather requirements and then we write up a detailed protocol. We do the field work and when completed we do the statistical analysis. All you do is pay for our time in the field.
- Deliverables
- Report with statistical analysis and discussion regarding the treatment.
- Methodology
- Timing: The time in between visits and total number of visits depends on the study. The whole process can be anywhere from multi-week to multi-year. However, in most cases, field trials usually take two or three visits to complete.
Trial Type: Each trial falls into one of two categories. An efficacy trial compares treated colonies to colonies with no treatment (control) while a comparison trial compares colonies with different treatments (no control).
Number of Colonies: Colonies are separated into "experimental groups" with each treated differently and their performance compared. For statistical analysis, it is best to use 30 colonies per experimental group, but it can also be done with a minimum of 12 colonies per group. So, for example, if we are comparing 3 different miticide treatments then:
- Good: Start with 36 colonies for a field trial with 3 experimental groups (12 per group)
- Better: Start with 63 colonies for a field trial with 3 experimental groups (21 per group)
- Best: Start with 90 colonies for a field trial with 3 experimental groups (30 per group)
Schedule:
- Requirements document
- Detailed protocol write up
- One or two field specialists and two or three visits to complete the work and data collection
- Analysis and report summarizing the results of your field trial - How to Prepare
- Before Submitting Service Request
- Decide on the trial type and treatments
- Confirm you have enough colonies for a trial
- Confirm you have enough treatment product for the trial. Treatment is provided by the beekeeper.
After Signing Service Agreement
- Choose your colonies (with help of field specialist) - Pricing
- Visit the services page for the current pricing range. The cost for field trials are per day and agreed upon beforehand. Factors that affect price per day include:
- Colonies: Number of inspections and type of data collected from each colony.
- Yard Locations: Proximity of yards if more than one yard is in the field trial.
- Crew support: For larger field trials beekeeper can optionally send crew to help with the field trial.
- Lodging: Field trials that are several hours drive may include lodging expenses.