You don't buy the tags from us.
ColonyTrack uses ordinary NFC tags. The same ones sold everywhere in bulk, a bag of fifty for the price of a jar of honey. There is nothing proprietary about them and nothing locked to us.
Stick one on each hive and bind it in the app. If a tag gets knocked off or painted over, replace it with any other tag and bind it again. You are never waiting on us to ship you something before you can work.
QR stickers do the same job and cost less. You can print those from the app on plain label paper, and they work on any phone with a camera. NFC is the faster of the two once your hands are full.
What to look for
Any writable NFC tag works. These are the things worth checking before you buy a bag.
- NTAG213, NTAG215 or NTAG216 All three work. ColonyTrack writes a short link to the tag, so even the smallest of them has far more room than it needs. NTAG215 is the most common in bulk packs.
- Blank and writable Tags sold pre-programmed or locked cannot be bound. If a listing mentions a locked URL or read-only memory, skip it.
- Waterproof, and rated for outdoors It is going to sit in the sun and the rain for years. Look for an epoxy, PVC or PET tag rather than a bare paper sticker.
- Sticker, disc, card or keyfob The shape is up to you. A 25mm or 30mm adhesive disc on the outside of the box is the usual answer. Screw-mount discs exist if you would rather not rely on adhesive.
- On-metal tags, only if you need them A standard tag stops working when it is stuck to metal. If you are mounting on a metal lid or a strap, buy the on-metal version. On wood, you do not need it.
Where to start
If you would rather have one answer than a decision, this is it. NTAG215, fifty to a bag, an inch across, adhesive backed, and described as waterproof, which is the part that matters on a box sitting outside all year.
- 50 waterproof NTAG215 stickers, 1 inch An inch across is an easy target to hit with gloves on, and fifty covers most yards with spares for the ones that get knocked off or painted over.
Where this honestly stands: these match the notes above and they bind and scan correctly. They have not been through a full season on my hives yet. When they have, this page will say how they held up, including if the answer is that they peeled off in August.
Amazon links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one, Amazon pays me a small commission. It costs you nothing extra, and it does not change what gets recommended here. If something on this page turns out to be junk, this page will say so.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How it works
Stick or screw the tag onto the outside of the hive body, somewhere you can reach with a full super in your arms
Open ColonyTrack, go to your hive, tap Bind NFC
Tap your iPhone or Android phone to the tag once to link it
From now on, tap the hive before you open it. Full history loads instantly
Tap-to-open works on iPhone XS and newer, and on Android phones with NFC. QR scanning is the fallback and works on any phone with a camera.
In the field
Installed and tested on real hives in Santa Barbara, CA. These are handmade mounts, but a plain adhesive tag sits in the same place and works the same way. Tap to see full size.
