Hefted/Weighed My Hive

[Millet]

I finally got around to weighing my hive today with a good set of specimen fishing scales that go upto 130lb in weight.. anyway I weighed both sides and the combined weight was 60lb.. that was with the brood box/ 1 super with around 4frames of stores / and another super what I use as a eke while using contact feeder's.. bearing in mind it was a nice sunny day with a lot of bee's flying.. I fed them 3 litre's of syrup today and I'm thinking about giving them one more feed and wrapping them up for winter as they are still bringing a lot of natural pollen and nectar in so hopefully that 60lb in weight will go up.. I also put the super with stores below the brood box today as I have seen advised..
Does all this sound ok to you experienced folk.. to add to that i did not pull the brood box to bit's on this inspection as I found a even amount of brood in various stages and stores on my last inspection so I thought it pointless to disturb them anymore.
Thank's
Steve.

 

[masterBK]

Need about 8 combs fairly well filled with sealed stores to winter most colonies. Why not simply look and check as it only takes a few minutes and when achieved relate this to the weight on your scales fr future reference. Years of experience of hefting will eventually make the scales redundant. Better slightly too much than not enough as it is not worth losing a colony for a couple of quids of more syrup especially as sugar is so cheap at the moment.

 

[Davelin]

I weigh a variety of hives for beginners at our club apiary.
Although there is obviously a difference in the hive types I aim to get them up to 35-40kg, which is 75-85lbs.
So I think you need to feed a bit more.

As MBK says, after a few years you have a pretty good idea just by feel.

 

[enrico]

You are underweight if you had two supers on too!
E

 

[Obee1]

I weigh a variety of hives for beginners at our club apiary.
Although there is obviously a difference in the hive types I aim to get them up to 35-40kg, which is 75-85lbs.
So I think you need to feed a bit more.

As MBK says, after a few years you have a pretty good idea just by feel.

Obviously different types of hives will weigh different amounts but what is your figure based on. floor, single brood box, crownboard and roof?

 

[Millet]

Need about 8 combs fairly well filled with sealed stores to winter most colonies. Why not simply look and check as it only takes a few minutes and when achieved relate this to the weight on your scales fr future reference. Years of experience of hefting will eventually make the scales redundant. Better slightly too much than not enough as it is not worth losing a colony for a couple of quids of more syrup especially as sugar is so cheap at the moment.

I don't know if you miss read my post but I did state that I had just fed 3 litres of syrup and I will give them a further more 3 litres when that has gone.
Thank's
Steve.

 

[masterBK]

Steve : I did not misread your post. 3 litres of 2:1 doesn't really contain that much sugar. Remember what goes into a hive doesn't all end up as stores as some is going to get used up in the process and some bees use feed to increase brood rearing . Hence my original suggestion : Feed until you have / and see the equivalent of 8 full deep combs of stores (more needed for more profligate strains)

 

[Millet]

Thank you for that Master BK.. the bees are not only getting what I feed them as they are rather busy on a huge amount of cover crop that is full of wild flower's.. the estate where my hive is placed is like a nature reserve and every year acres upon acres of wild flower's get planted and my bees have recently found them.. they are also attracted to a big tree not far away that is also covered in wasp's.. I will stick some pictures up for identification when I get back to my home computer.
Thank's
Steve.

 

[Davelin]

Obviously different types of hives will weigh different amounts but what is your figure based on. floor, single brood box, crownboard and roof?

Yes pretty much, although I have 14x12 boxes and deep roof on most of mine.