Hefting The Hive..

[B+.]

You are complicating it. All you need is a rough idea so that you know if they have enough stores. Within a few pounds isn't going to make that much difference.

You are probably right if all you are interested in is whether colony "a" has enough to survive the winter. However, if you are interested in comparing a number of colonies to see which of them are more frugal with their stores and how they build up the following spring (i.e. identifying colonies which can do more with less) so that you can include this information in your selection decision, I think the information is important

 

[Hawklord]

I don't heft or weigh my hives. I put an empty super (no frames) below the brood box and then clear the supers. This provides space for the bees from the supers. If this space isn't provided they would be cramped and possibly swarm. If the bees need extra comb they draw it on the bottoms of the frames and this gets removed at the first full inspection. When it comes to the Autumn feed I roughly add up how much they have collected since I removed the supers and then feed the rest in syrup, usually about 16 lbs of sugar in 2 gallons of water.

 

[Millet]

Just hook under the hive in the middle of one side .. lift the luggage scale just so that one side of the hive is just off the surface it is standing on. (You only need the hive to be barely suspended from the scale - a couple of millimetres - this will not overturn the hive). Note the weight. Move the scale/hook to the opposite side and lift that with the scale so that it is just off the surface it stands on, note the readiing.

Put the scales down and add the two readings together = Weight of hive and contents.

Brilliant that explanation was just what i was looking for.. Thank you ..

 

[Millet]

As someone who fits your stereotype I take great exception to your comment!

Ehh..

 

[Davelin]

Well you seem to be assuming that because I am over 60 and have not been a manual labourer, that I must be incapable of lifting a hive.

 

[Millet]

Ok whatever..

 

[mintmoth]

Can I ask a newbie question? How can you be sure, just by hefting, that the honey stores have not crystallized rock hard like rape and mustard do?

 

[Davelin]

Ok whatever..

I'm sorry if my comments appear to have gone over your head.

If you had said "some people may have difficulty lifting a hive" I don't see a problem, but to make assumptions based purely on age and occupation is quite insulting.

 

[Davelin]

Can I ask a newbie question? How can you be sure, just by hefting, that the honey stores have not crystallized rock hard like rape and mustard do?

You can't. This spring I had quite a lot of frames of solid ivy honey left in the brood boxes. It's not impossible for bees to use set honey but they need to do more work so not ideal in winter.

You can still check your brood box now to assess the state of the stores.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

bees have coped with solid ivy honey for millions of years - if they couldn't, they wouldn't collect it. If there was some left in the hive, it just means they didn't need it all. There was some left over in three of my hives this year - I took it out and later used it to feed a couple of other hives that were a bit light on stores - they took it all in short order.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you have a square box and put a point of contact on the left and right side in the middle you will cause a privet effect..

That won't make a difference - i only have hawthorn and hazel hedges in my apiaries

 

[Millet]

Sling your hook **** bag..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

glad to see we have more than one member on here with a classical education