Hefting a WBC

[Luminos]

This will likely a daft question but - I can see how you would heft a normal hive but what's the best way to heft a WBC, please? (Necessary to remove lifts etc etc..?)
Just so's I can get me back limbered up ready...

 

[RoseCottage]

Well we have 5 WBCs now and I would ask why at this time of year you want to heft instead of checking visually for stores?

If you were prepared in Summer to remove lifts, etc you may aswell take a quick look at the stores level and makeup.

In Winter when we heft we lift the side of the floor up. In our case we strap our hives down just in-case of strong winds, deer, etc.

The trick is to have a feel and know something of the empty hive weight and also to have an idea of what was fed in and what the laden weight felt like too. Just so the hefted weight has a relative meaning.

At this time we have suffered in our little part of Hampshire a bad weather induced June gap. So in the last week and a half we have been feeding a little to the colonies that need it. We have put regular small amounts of feed in and checking visually to see the bees situation. I don't want to overfeed and affect potential honey crop but don't want the ladies to starve either. On sunny days all is well as their is still forage coming in.

Good luck,
Sam

 

[Luminos]

Thanks Sam, sorry I didn't put it a bit clearer, I'm not wanting to heft just yet, especially as it's 36 degrees here today. Not hefting weather!
I was just wanting to get an idea for later on in the season, so many thanks for your advice.
L

 

[Silvercleave]

Heft?

What is heft? I take it that it means to test the wieght, but my darling girls have propolised all the boxes together, I am not strong enough to lift the whole hive empty let alone full and as it would mean seperating the boxes I might as well look inside, or have I missed the point?

Ian

 

[Steve Dyer]

What is heft? I take it that it means to test the wieght, but my darling girls have propolised all the boxes together, I am not strong enough to lift the whole hive empty let alone full and as it would mean seperating the boxes I might as well look inside, or have I missed the point?

Ian

Hi Ian, I think you have found the point! 'Heft' really means 'lift an edge or a corner. That way you can get a feel for the weight of the hive without lifting the full weight off the ground - if you lift one side then theoretically you lift about half the weight (depends on distribution obviously).

Another way of judging the weight is to try and lift one side - if you can't there's probably enough stores

 

[oliver90owner]

What is heft?

Hefting, historically, was manually assessing the weight of the hive, by checking how heavy it was to lift each side of the hive just clear of the ground, and thus estimate the remaining stores, usually in late winter.

Lots of ways to do it absolutely, these days. No need for the experience of the operator as was usual in years gone by. There are still a lot out there who do not waste time with mechanical aids, or the accuracy of a load cell, so it still does not need to be a 'rocket science' project.

That said use of 'electronic digital travel case' scales (a fiver from epay?) or use of a lever to reduce the effort is easy enough to arrange. There is no need to dismantle any hives these days to get an accurate measure of it's weight.

So returning to the question - assessing stores from the weight of the hive is a good an answer as necessary.

Regards, RAB

 

[Luminos]

Thanks, all - I just didn't want the whole thing to collapse like a house of cards, and I'd be digging bees out of the snow