Each hive's output depends on colony health H (queen strength, disease, mite load) and forage quality F (flower density, weather, season) — both fractions 0-1. Weak or mite-stressed colonies forage less and store less honey; poor forage means bees fly further for less nectar, which this scene shows as slower, sparser bee traffic between the hives and the flower field.
honey_per_hive = Y_max * H * F (kg / year)
honey_revenue = honey_per_hive * N * P_honey
pollination_value = V_max * H * F * N (if contracted)
operating_cost = N * C_op
net_profit = honey_revenue + pollination_value - operating_cost
startup_investment = N * C_start
payback_years = startup_investment / net_profit
Real apiaries reveal a striking asymmetry: a healthy hive's pollination service to nearby crops (almonds, apples, squash) is typically worth several times more than the honey it produces — the honeycomb inside each hive rises with H×F, while the bee traffic density visualizes colony strength directly.
- Hives in apiary — scales colony count, bee traffic, costs, and total revenue.
- Colony health — queen quality and disease/mite pressure; drives yield and bee count.
- Forage quality — nectar availability nearby; drives yield and flight distance/speed.
- Pollination contracts — toggles whether crop-pollination income is counted.
- Varroa mite stress — forces a steady health decay, like an untreated infestation.