FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers
This article proposes a new Flower Patch Nectar Sensor to address the problem of detecting and measuring nectar in artificial flowers used in experiments on pollinator behavior. Traditional methods have focused mainly on recording the visits of pollinators to the flowers, without addressing the dyna...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/7/714 |
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| author | Edwin Lara-Perez Jose Agosto Rivera Tugrul Giray Remi Megret Laboye Edwin Flórez Gómez |
| author_facet | Edwin Lara-Perez Jose Agosto Rivera Tugrul Giray Remi Megret Laboye Edwin Flórez Gómez |
| author_sort | Edwin Lara-Perez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article proposes a new Flower Patch Nectar Sensor to address the problem of detecting and measuring nectar in artificial flowers used in experiments on pollinator behavior. Traditional methods have focused mainly on recording the visits of pollinators to the flowers, without addressing the dynamic variations in nectar in terms of volume and concentration. The proposed approach provides more detailed information about the nectar consumption by bees and allows for the determination of the optimal time to refill the flowers. This study introduces an innovative method that uses electrodes and an oscillator circuit to measure the volume of nectar present in the flower. The system correlates the concentration of nectar with a frequency signal that can be processed by a microcontroller. It was evaluated using initial volumes ranging from 1 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>L to 4 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>L, demonstrating its ability to accurately detect variations in nectar, even up to the point where the frequency approaches zero. The results confirm that this method allows us to identify how the reward offered to pollinators (represented by nectar) varies over time, in terms of concentration, under both controlled and natural conditions. Additionally, graphs are presented that show the relationship between an initial volume of 4 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>L and variations in the frequency signal over a period of 25 min, highlighting the influence of these factors on nectar dynamics. This work not only introduces an innovative approach for the dynamic monitoring of nectar in artificial flowers but also lays the groundwork for future studies on the physical and chemical modeling of nectar in response to environmental conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b1cf5baa295b4b9da74c97493ac9e009 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-b1cf5baa295b4b9da74c97493ac9e0092025-08-20T03:08:09ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-07-0116771410.3390/insects16070714FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial FlowersEdwin Lara-Perez0Jose Agosto Rivera1Tugrul Giray2Remi Megret Laboye3Edwin Flórez Gómez4Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez 00680, Puerto RicoDepartment of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan 00931, Puerto RicoDepartment of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan 00931, Puerto RicoDepatment of Computer Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan 00931, Puerto RicoDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez 00680, Puerto RicoThis article proposes a new Flower Patch Nectar Sensor to address the problem of detecting and measuring nectar in artificial flowers used in experiments on pollinator behavior. Traditional methods have focused mainly on recording the visits of pollinators to the flowers, without addressing the dynamic variations in nectar in terms of volume and concentration. The proposed approach provides more detailed information about the nectar consumption by bees and allows for the determination of the optimal time to refill the flowers. This study introduces an innovative method that uses electrodes and an oscillator circuit to measure the volume of nectar present in the flower. The system correlates the concentration of nectar with a frequency signal that can be processed by a microcontroller. It was evaluated using initial volumes ranging from 1 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>L to 4 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>L, demonstrating its ability to accurately detect variations in nectar, even up to the point where the frequency approaches zero. The results confirm that this method allows us to identify how the reward offered to pollinators (represented by nectar) varies over time, in terms of concentration, under both controlled and natural conditions. Additionally, graphs are presented that show the relationship between an initial volume of 4 <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>L and variations in the frequency signal over a period of 25 min, highlighting the influence of these factors on nectar dynamics. This work not only introduces an innovative approach for the dynamic monitoring of nectar in artificial flowers but also lays the groundwork for future studies on the physical and chemical modeling of nectar in response to environmental conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/7/714nectar sensorartificial flowersnectar consumptionoscillator circuitfrequency signalmicrocontroller |
| spellingShingle | Edwin Lara-Perez Jose Agosto Rivera Tugrul Giray Remi Megret Laboye Edwin Flórez Gómez FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers Insects nectar sensor artificial flowers nectar consumption oscillator circuit frequency signal microcontroller |
| title | FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers |
| title_full | FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers |
| title_fullStr | FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers |
| title_full_unstemmed | FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers |
| title_short | FlowerPatch: New Method to Measure Nectar Volume in Artificial Flowers |
| title_sort | flowerpatch new method to measure nectar volume in artificial flowers |
| topic | nectar sensor artificial flowers nectar consumption oscillator circuit frequency signal microcontroller |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/7/714 |
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